View source for Geraint Jones

{{Short description|Professional cricketer}}
{{other people}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Geraint Jones
| image = Geraint Jones.jpg
| caption = Jones in 2006
| country = England
| country2 = Papua New Guinea
| fullname = Geraint Owen Jones
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|7|14|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Kundiawa]], [[Papua New Guinea]]
| nickname = 
| heightft = 5
| heightinch = 10
| batting = Right-handed
| role = [[Wicket-keeper]]
| international = true
| internationalspan = 2004–2006
| internationalspan2 = {{nowrap|2012–2014}}

| testdebutdate = 10 April
| testdebutyear = 2004
| testdebutfor = England
| testdebutagainst = West Indies
| testcap = 623
| lasttestdate = 14 December
| lasttestyear = 2006
| lasttestfor = England
| lasttestagainst = Australia

| odidebutdate = 27 June
| odidebutyear = 2004
| odidebutfor = England
| odidebutagainst = West Indies
| odicap = 181
| odicap2 = 5
| lastodidate = 9 November
| lastodiyear = 2014
| lastodifor = PNG
| lastodiagainst = Hong Kong
| odishirt = 10

|             T20Icap = 5
|        T20Idebutfor = England
|    T20Idebutagainst = Australia
|       T20Idebutdate = 13 June
|       T20Idebutyear = 2005
|         lastT20Ifor = England
|     lastT20Iagainst = Sri Lanka
|        lastT20Idate = 15 June
|        lastT20Iyear = 2006
|           T20Ishirt = 10

| club1 = [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]]
| year1 = 2001–2014
| clubnumber1 = 9
| club2 = → [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]] <small>(on loan)</small>
| year2 = 2014
| club3 = [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]]
| year3 = 2015
| clubnumber3 = 8
| columns = 4
| hidedeliveries = true
| column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]]
| matches1 = 34
| runs1 = 1,172
| bat avg1 = 23.91
| 100s/50s1 = 1/6
| top score1 = 100
| catches/stumpings1 = 128/5
| column2 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| matches2 = 51
| runs2 = 862
| bat avg2 = 24.62
| 100s/50s2 = 0/4
| top score2 = 80
| catches/stumpings2 = 68/4
| column3 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
| matches3 = 203
| runs3 = 9,087
| bat avg3 = 32.45
| 100s/50s3 = 15/50
| top score3 = 178
| catches/stumpings3 = 599/36
| column4 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
| matches4 = 213
| runs4 = 3,679
| bat avg4 = 25.72
| 100s/50s4 = 0/17
| top score4 = 87
| catches/stumpings4 = 209/42
| date = 30 March
| year = 2016
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/15501.html CricInfo
}}
'''Geraint Owen Jones''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (born 14 July 1976) is a former cricketer who played for both [[England cricket team|England]] and [[Papua New Guinea national cricket team|Papua New Guinea]]. Born to Welsh parents in [[Papua New Guinea]], Jones was the first-choice [[wicketkeeper]] for the England cricket team between 2004 and 2006. He later played international cricket for Papua New Guinea from 2012 to 2014. He announced his retirement from first-class cricket in July 2015 following his resignation as the first-class cricket captain of [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club]].<ref name="retire">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2015/content/story/895395.html |title=Geraint Jones to retire at end of season |access-date=8 July 2015 |work=ESPNCricinfo}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Jones was born in [[Kundiawa]], [[Papua New Guinea]], and moved to [[Australia]] with his parents, who were originally from [[Wales]], soon after he was born. He grew up in [[Toowoomba]] where he played in the under 21 team in the annual Spring Street Church cricket match.  He went on to play in [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], played for the Queensland Colts (Under-21) team, and was awarded the wicketkeeper's trophy for most dismissals in the [[Brisbane Grade Cricket]] competition in 1995/96 when he was 19/20.  His first club in England was Lydney CC in the [[Forest of Dean]] but he returned to live in Australia until he was 22.<ref name="cricinfo">{{cite web|url = http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/15501.html|title = Cricinfo – Players and Officials – Geraint Jones|access-date = 17 September 2007|author = Cricinfo|author-link = Cricinfo}}</ref> Upon his return to Britain he played for Clevedon CC. The following season he joined [[Abergavenny]] CC and was later appointed captain. Whilst at Abergavenny he trained as a pharmacist. He  met his wife whilst playing for Clevedon; the couple has two sons.

After retiring, Jones joined [[Brentwood School, Essex|Brentwood School]] as their cricket professional in November 2015.<ref>[http://www.brentwoodschool.co.uk/Ashes-Winner-Joins-Brentwood-School Ashes-Winner Joins Brentwood School] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403133412/http://www.brentwoodschool.co.uk/Ashes-Winner-Joins-Brentwood-School |date=3 April 2019 }}. Brentwoodschool.co.uk (4 September 2015). Retrieved on 2018-08-06.</ref> He also worked as a business studies teacher. In 2019 he trained to become a [[retained firefighter]] with [[Kent Fire and Rescue Service]].<ref>{{cite web |date=7 November 2019|title=Jones fired up for future career |url=https://www.thepca.co.uk/press-release/jones-fired-up-for-future-career/ |website=PCA |access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref>

==Career==
===Domestic career===
Jones spent most of his career playing for [[Kent County Cricket Club]]. He made his debut for Kent in 2001 after having played Second XI cricket for the side the previous season. He was [[County cap|capped]] by the side in 2003 and played in more than 380 top-class matches for Kent, making his final appearance for the side in 2013.<ref>[https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/profile/geraint-jones/ Geraint Jones], [[Kent County Cricket Club]]. Retrieved 23 August 2020.</ref><ref name=ca>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/34/34355/34355.html Geraint Jones], CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 August 2020. {{subscription required}}</ref> After losing his place in the Kent side to [[Sam Billings]] at the start of the 2014 season, Jones joined [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]] on loan. He was released by Kent at the end of the season,<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/28855961 Geraint Jones: Kent to release England's 2005 Ashes star], [[BBC Sport]], 19 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2020.</ref> and signed a two-year deal with Gloucestershire in October 2014, but retired after only a year with the club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/33441845|title=BBC Sport – Geraint Jones: 2005 Ashes winner to retire at end of season|work=BBC Sport|access-date=29 September 2015}}</ref>

===England career===
[[File:Geraint Jones bat.jpg|right|thumb|Jones practises at the [[Adelaide Oval]] during the 2006-07 Ashes.]]
Jones replaced [[Chris Read]] as England wicket-keeper during the 2004 tour of the West Indies.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/story/134269.html|title = England bring in Jones for Read|access-date = 17 September 2007|author = Cricinfo|author-link = Cricinfo}}</ref> Later that year, playing against [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]], he scored his only Test match century.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/139290.html|title = Jones century leads the way for England|access-date = 17 September 2007|author = Cricinfo|author-link = Cricinfo}}</ref> He toured South Africa in 2004/05

In 2005 he took the final catch of the [[2005 Ashes]] Test at [[Edgbaston Cricket Ground|Edgbaston]], ensuring an England victory by two runs. In the [[2006 New Year Honours]], Jones was awarded the [[Order of the British Empire (MBE)|MBE]] for playing in the successful Ashes series.

A succession of dropped catches and missed [[Stumped|stumpings]] during his England career had caused many commentators to question whether his value to the team as a [[batsman]] was sufficient for him to hold his place against competition from more accomplished wicket-keepers such as Read and [[James Foster (cricketer, born 1980)|James Foster]]. Until mid-2006, the England selectors maintained faith in Jones<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/15501.html|title=Geraint Jones|work=Cricinfo}}</ref> believing that he offset his mistakes with several well-timed performances with the bat. His batting form tailed off and, after suffering a broken finger, he was replaced by Chris Read for the third Test against Pakistan in 2006.

Jones was not awarded a 12-month central contract for 2007, although neither was Read and both players were selected for the [[2006-07 Ashes series]]. Jones played the first three matches of the series but was dropped after poor performances and never regained his England place.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6140748.stm|title = Jones to return as Ashes keeper|access-date = 12 November 2006| date=12 November 2006|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>[https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22973993 Jones goes back to his roots], [[CricInfo]], 16 January 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2020.</ref>

===Papua New Guinea career===
Jones played for [[Papua New Guinea cricket team|Papua New Guinea]] in the 2012 [[ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier]]s in the [[United Arab Emirates]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jan/21/geraint-jones-papua-new-guinea | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=Former England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones joins Papua New Guinea | date=21 January 2012}}</ref> His best score was 46 off 33 balls in PNG's victory over [[Denmark cricket team|Denmark]].<ref name=ca/> Papua New Guinea finished eighth out of 16.

He played again for PNG in the [[2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier]], where he was a standout in the middle order for the side and provided much needed stability to the lineup, scoring 216 runs, with an average of 27 and a high score of 55. In early January 2014 he played in the [[2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier|2014 WCQ]] held in NZ, top-scoring with 88 runs against Hong Kong, his highest score for PNG. PNG finished fourth in the tournament and were awarded [[One Day International]] and [[T20 International]] status by the [[International Cricket Council]]. Jones played in two ODI's for the side, both against [[Hong Kong cricket team against Papua New Guinea in Australia in 2014–15|Hong Kong]] in Townsville, Australia.

==Career best performances==

{|class=wikitable
|-
! colspan="5"|Batting
|-
!Type of cricket
!Score
!Fixture
!Venue
!Season
|-
|[[Test cricket|Test match]]
| style="text-align:center;"|100
|[[England cricket team|England]] v [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]]
|[[Headingley Cricket Ground|Leeds]]
| style="text-align:center;"|2004
|-
|[[One Day International|ODI]]
| style="text-align:center;"|80
|[[England cricket team|England]] v [[Zimbabwe national cricket team|Zimbabwe]]
|[[Queens Sports Club|Bulawayo]]
| style="text-align:center;"|2004
|-
|[[Twenty20 International|T20I]]
| style="text-align:center;"|19
|[[England cricket team|England]] v [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]
|[[Rose Bowl (cricket ground)|Southampton]]
| style="text-align:center;"|2005
|-
|[[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| style="text-align:center;"|178
|[[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]] v [[Somerset County Cricket Club|Somerset]]
|[[St Lawrence Ground|Canterbury]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Kent County Cricket Club in 2010|2010]]
|-
|[[List A cricket|List A]]
| style="text-align:center;"|87
|[[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]] v [[Leicestershire County Cricket Club|Leicestershire]]
|[[Grace Road|Leicester]]
| style="text-align:center;"|2015
|-
|[[Twenty20]]
| style="text-align:center;"|56
|[[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]] v [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]]
|[[St Lawrence Ground|Canterbury]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Kent County Cricket Club in 2009|2009]]
|}

==See also==
* [[List of Test cricketers born in non-Test playing nations]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cricinfo|id=15501}}
* {{Twitter}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Geraint}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Dual international cricketers]]
[[Category:Gloucestershire cricket captains]]
[[Category:England One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:England Test cricketers]]
[[Category:England Twenty20 International cricketers]]
[[Category:Papua New Guinea One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:Gloucestershire cricketers]]
[[Category:Kent cricketers]]
[[Category:Papua New Guinean cricketers]]
[[Category:Welsh cricketers]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Papua New Guinean people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:Welsh emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Wicket-keepers]]