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RIP Dean Jones

Incorrect

Coach
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11,828
Just watched this clip that was put up on ABC. Double-ton against the Windies in 89.. at arguably the peak of their powers. I remember watching it, and especially Merv getting pummeled but still carving out 70 odd runs.

But for Jones - was an absolute masterclass. Especially some of the cut-shots.

I seem to recall there was a tinge of tragedy associated with that partnership between Jones and Hughes. Can't remember which one hit the ball, I think it was Merv, but there was a half tracker bowled by a spinner (I guess Harper?) and the ball was pulled full blooded direct in to Gus Logie's face (who was wearing a helmet thankfully) at short leg... But he went down regardless... But story goes his Mum was listening to the radio coverage back in the Caribbean and she freaked out and had a heart attack and died at that moment... #un-funfact
 
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8,480
I seem to recall there was a tinge of tragedy associated with that partnership between Jones and Hughes. Can't remember which one hit the ball, I think it was Merv, but there was a half tracker bowled by a spinner (I guess Harper?) and the ball was pulled full blooded direct in to Gus Logie's face (who was wearing a helmet thankfully) at short leg... But he went down regardless... But story goes his Mum was listening to the radio coverage back in the Caribbean and she freaked out and had a heart attack and died at that moment... #un-funfact

I'd forgotten about the Logie thing til now, yeah could have been that partnership.. Pretty sure it was a Merv-swat to the legside.

I remember channel 9 took a still of Merv while batting and put an "X" for all the places he'd been hit by the windies. Dead set about 15 X's all over him.
 

undertaker

Coach
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10,816
they would've been commentating, joking, laughing together, and it then just suddenly comes to an abrupt end at the moment you least expect....life can be very cruel.

Forgot to mention, playing golf in the hotel corridor

 
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undertaker

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10,816
He is maybe the only Victorian sportsman who I never heard talk about AFL.

Deano was a loyal Carlton supporter (only due to his father Barney playing VFL and grade cricket for Carlton), but thankfully I don't ever recall him talk about it whenever he commentated cricket matches in the past.

Warne/Fleming/Whateley et al could definitely learn a lesson or two. The number of cricket commentators (whether it be on tv or radio) who've been bombarding their 30 minute stints in the commentary box with AFL references over the past decade has been completely nauseating.
 

nöyd

Moderator
Staff member
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9,808
Watching some Deano highlights on fox, check out the helmet on Mo Matthews lol

8m6txX2.png
 

undertaker

Coach
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10,816
Watching some Deano highlights on fox, check out the helmet on Mo Matthews lol

8m6txX2.png
LOL! That's a nifty helmet.

Also, I wasn't aware state cricketers played matches wearing shorts (1995 Mercantile Mutual Cup Final, Deano's last state comp title). Looks more like a training session:

 

PARRA_FAN

Coach
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17,010
Yep, I remember that century he scored for the World XI against Australia a few days after the 1996 World Cup Final. I'm surprised that match went ahead on very short notification, given all the players who flew in from the subcontinent to Melbourne for that one-off match after a long, grueling tournament in oppressive heat.


Forgot to mention, earlier that summer, Deano made a brief comeback out of retirement for Australia A (in the hope of making the 1996 World Cup squad) vs West Indies, and his rivalry with Curtly Ambrose was reignited. However, a dodgy LBW decision from umpire Ross Emerson brought an end to any chance of a position in the squad:


Could've done with Deano's experience in subcontinent conditions, as it was a waste having Michael Slater in the squad since he never ended up playing any of the World Cup matches.

Gee I cant really remember that Aus A match but wow wouldve been great to see that. If memory serves I wouldve been up the coast during school holidays. Did he play in the other Aus A game that summer? I remember Steve Waugh played for Australia A that summer after coming back from injury.

That World 11 game at the MCG wasnt great timing but looking at that video, looks as though they used the likes of Lee, Slater and Gillespie who didn't in the final, Dizzy was a late call up for McDermott.

Deano showing them he still had it back then.

Just watched his interview with Crash Craddock, and he admits the period from 31 yo till about 37 when he retired from first class cricket, was the best he played.

I mean a lot of players past the age of 30 seemed to get better and its a such a shame he never got that opportunity again after he got dropped in 92.
 

undertaker

Coach
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10,816
Gee I cant really remember that Aus A match but wow wouldve been great to see that. If memory serves I wouldve been up the coast during school holidays. Did he play in the other Aus A game that summer? I remember Steve Waugh played for Australia A that summer after coming back from injury.

That World 11 game at the MCG wasnt great timing but looking at that video, looks as though they used the likes of Lee, Slater and Gillespie who didn't in the final, Dizzy was a late call up for McDermott.

Deano showing them he still had it back then.

Just watched his interview with Crash Craddock, and he admits the period from 31 yo till about 37 when he retired from first class cricket, was the best he played.

I mean a lot of players past the age of 30 seemed to get better and its a such a shame he never got that opportunity again after he got dropped in 92.

That will always remain one of Australian cricket's greatest mysteries: why Deano was permanently dropped from the test team after having the highest Australian batting average for the 1992 tour of Sri Lanka at the age of 31 (which is very young for a batsman by today's standards).

I know there's been a lot of speculation floating around on various internet forums regarding the reason, however that omission from the test team was the beginning of the end of his time in the Australian team. He then got snubbed from the '93 Ashes tour squad to England, wasn't named in the initial 93/94 World Series ODI squad, was rushed back into the starting XI during the 2nd half of the World Series (scored 98 in his comeback match, followed by another 2 fifties), was unceremoniously dumped from the final match of the ODI series in South Africa, and that was it. Australia then had to go and play in an ODI tournament a few days later in Sharjah, which ushered in a new era for the Aussies after that South African tour was the final one for Border/Hughes/Jones.

Although it was Steve Waugh's comeback match from injury, most of the media build-up revolved around Deano's selection, his possible chance of making the '96 World Cup squad, and also reigniting his rivalry with Curtly Ambrose (coincidentally at the SCG, same venue he had that duel with Curtly 3 years earlier). That rivalry didn't disappoint at all, but a poor LBW decision from Ross Emerson all but put an end to the dream. I still stand by what I thought at the time, that it was a mistake having Michael Slater in the squad as he was horribly out of form in ODIs (got dumped during the World Series after only scoring 51 runs @ 8.5) and Deano's record and experience on turning pitches in hot subcontinent conditions could've been the difference.

You're correct, the innings for the World XI on a difficult pitch showed he still had at nearly 35, but that Australia A game 3 months earlier was realistically his final chance. After the '96 World Cup, Australia's top 6 batting lineup had pretty much been settled, not to mention the emergence of Darren Lehmann, Greg Blewett and Adam Gilchrist over the following 12 months.
 
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undertaker

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OT, speaking of Dizzy in that World XI match, I didn't realise just how quick he was back then during his ponytail days. The ball he bowled Richie Richardson with was an absolute beauty, and the pace on it...hard to tell how fast that is without speed guns, but it looked high 140's km/h:


This was the last season before the MCG started using drop-in pitches. That slight nip away off the seam was useful.
 
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Incorrect

Coach
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Remember when Deano dropped a slips catch off Tubby in an Ashes warm up match in England? I remember it looked like he dropped it on purpose. It was when Taylor was really struggling for runs and there were question marks over his position in the side even though he was captain. Taylor edged one when on f-all in that warm up match and Jones grassed it. Taylor went on to make a half decent score from memory and kept his spot in the Ashes side. Probably owed Deano for that...
 

undertaker

Coach
Messages
10,816
Remember when Deano dropped a slips catch off Tubby in an Ashes warm up match in England? I remember it looked like he dropped it on purpose. It was when Taylor was really struggling for runs and there were question marks over his position in the side even though he was captain. Taylor edged one when on f-all in that warm up match and Jones grassed it. Taylor went on to make a half decent score from memory and kept his spot in the Ashes side. Probably owed Deano for that...
Really? Maybe robelinda2 (from YouTube) might have footage of that, as I wasn't aware of this incident during the '97 Ashes.
 

Incorrect

Coach
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11,828
Really? Maybe robelinda2 (from YouTube) might have footage of that, as I wasn't aware of this incident during the '97 Ashes.
100%. It was low to the ground, and Deano got hands on it, was pretty regulation but he grassed it, it went between his legs for a couple of runs.
 

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