Glamorgan cricket legend Jones finally awarded an England cap

FORMER Glamorgan skipper Alan Jones was yesterday awarded an England Test cap, 50 years to the day since he made his only appearance for England in the first match of the 1970 series against the Rest of the World XI.

At the time, the matches in the series were classed as Tests but were subsequently downgraded by the ICC, meaning Jones’s status as an England international was lost.

However, the ECB has awarded Jones with cap number 696 – the next available number, following Zak Crawley’s debut in November 2019 – through a virtual ceremony. Among those joining ECB Chair Colin Graves on the video call to make the presentation were England Men’s Test captain Joe Root and Glamorgan CEO Hugh Morris, as well as former England captain, and Jones’ county teammate, Tony Lewis.

Jones (above right) holds the record for scoring the most runs in first-class cricket without playing in an official Test match, with his tally of 36,049 ranking 35th highest of all time.

He was a key part of Glamorgan’s title-winning side of 1969 and was named among Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year in 1978. He captained the county for two seasons in the late 70s, leading his side to the Gillette Cup final in 1977.

Following his 26-year playing career, in which he also made appearances for Natal, Northern Transvaal and Western Australia, Jones later coached Glamorgan to glory in the AXA Equity & Law League in 1993 and was Director of Cricket when the Welsh side won the County Championship in 1997. His Glamorgan connection continued when he was named President in 2016, holding the position until 2019.

England men’s test captain, Joe Root, added: “Hearing and reading about Alan’s achievements in cricket has been inspiring, so it’s a great honour to have been part of his celebration today. Being selected to represent your country is a huge moment in any cricketer’s career, and while Alan’s time in the team was brief, I hope he has retained fond memories of the match over the last 50 years.

“The cap makes you part of a very special family and I hope it’s not too long before we can welcome Alan to an England match to congratulate him in person.”

ECB chair Colin Graves said: “Alan’s achievements on and off the cricket field are something to be celebrated, so I’m delighted that we can mark the 50th anniversary of his England appearance in this way.

“While the record books may not show Alan as a capped international cricketer, the ECB wanted to recognise his England appearance and celebrate his remarkable career as a player, coach and administrator by awarding him England cap number 696.

“My congratulations go to Alan, as well as my thanks and respect for all he has done for the game of cricket in the last six decades, especially in his native Wales.”