Cricket Australia (CA) recently revealed that the Men’s Domestic ODI Cup has been named in honor of cricketer Dean Jones.
At the time of his death in India in 2020, Jones, 59, was one of Australia’s best 50-over players, scoring 6068 runs in 164 matches at an average of 44.61 and a strike rate of 72.56. He was also the main reason why Australia won the 1987 World Cup.
“Dad will be very proud to receive this recognition. He loved representing Victoria in this competition and described winning the 50-over World Cup for Australia in 1987 as the greatest cricket day of his life,” Jones’ daughter Phoebe told ABC News in a statement.
In India, Jones will forever be remembered for his 210 runs under pressure during a drawn Test in Madras in 1986. Referring to the harrowing aftermath, he revealed that he had peed his pants at the crease, vomited on the side of the pitch and was hallucinating in the shower during the break. But he continued to “bat from memory” at the insistence of his captain Alan Border and manager Bob Simpson.
A member of the 1987 World Cup-winning team, Jones was a legendary one-day batsman, known as Border’s reliable No. 3 for his thunderous lofted shots at long-on and brilliant pulls. He was also an excellent fielder near the boundary, often running in full-pelt and diving acrobatically to attempt catches that many would not have thought possible. He was also the fastest player between the wickets.
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