Allan Jones was the archetypal county journeyman, plying his trade as a brisk fast-medium bowler with four counties (in an era when any switch between sides was commented on) as well as spending two seasons in South Africa. Tall and wiry, Jones was accurate and often let out an audible grunt when bowling and he had no pretensions as either a batsman or a fielder. His most successful spell was with Middlesex when he formed an effective new-ball partnership with Mike Selvey to help guide the county to their first title in 27 years. That summer was also Jones's best, his 71 wickets coming at 22.90. The arrival of Wayne Daniel limited his appearances, as did a back injury, and he finished at Glamorgan. He briefly toyed with becoming a bookmaker - "I soon discovered that I did not have a flair for business" - and joined the first-class umpires' panel in 1985 and stood in two ODIs. But he took early retirement in 2008 and joined the rebel Indian Cricket League. "I got the same money as I was earning for less than half the time," he explained. "I was a little fed up driving around England living permanently out of a suitcase."
Cricinfo staff