Geraint Jones

Geraint Owen Jones MBE (born 14 July 1976, Kundiawa, Papua New Guinea) is an England cricketer of Welsh extraction but raised in Australia. Until August 2006 he was the first-choice wicketkeeper for England in both Test and One-day cricket, but fell behind Chris Read, Paul Nixon, Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose and others. He plays county cricket for Kent.

Personal life

Jones moved to Australia with his parents, who were originally from Wales, soon after he was born. He grew up in Toowoomba, Queensland and lived in Australia until he was 22. Upon his return to Britain he trained as a pharmacist in Abergavenny, Wales. He is married to Jen, a former canteen worker at Kent County Cricket Club, and they have one son, Rhys William.

Career

He replaced Chris Read as England wicketkeeper during the 2004 tour of the West Indies. Later that year, he hit a Test match century against New Zealand, cracking fifteen fours and one six.

In the 2004/5 Winter tour of South Africa he took part in all of England's Test and One-day matches. Notably, he scored a quick 73 in the drawn Test match at Durban and stumped Andrew Hall from the last delivery of the tied One-day match in Bloemfontein. In 2005 he made five catches and scored 71 in a defiant partnership with Paul Collingwood to conjure a tie from the depths of 33/5 in the final of the NatWest Series against Australia at Lord's.

A fine moment in his......
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