Jones is Just so Proud to be part of the Red Rose Brigade

Paul Edwards speaks to the young and proud Lancastrian, Rob Jones, about fulfilling a lifelong dream at Old Trafford.

- Paul Edwards

Oh, wow, that’s pretty special, actually. Rob Jones is commenting on a photo-graph of himself. It shows him leaning back with his legs splayed and his arms raised and outstretched. He has just scored his first century for Lancashire.

There is no trace of egotism or narcissism in Jones’ comment. Do not mistake pleasure for vanity. He is merely looking at an image which he has never seen before and reflecting on one of the best moments of his young life.

Jones’ celebration when he reached his hundred against Middlesex on a blissful September afternoon at Emirates Old Trafford was quickly shared on social media and can still be seen on Youtube.

It shows him looking uncertainly towards the long-on boundary, praying that his lofted drive off Ollie Rayner has cleared the fielder. When it becomes clear that the ball has, indeed, crossed the rope on the full, there is an explosion of innocent and unforced joy from the batsman.

Jones yells at the top of his voice and swings his bat gleefully towards the players on the balcony and maybe particularly towards Lancashire’s second team coach, Mark Chilton. The Middlesex players clap in quiet appreciation of a fine innings, albeit one that may, for all they knew, have denied them the title.

Rayner, John Simpson and others look on as Jones gallivants around the wicket.

“I’ll have a pint of what he’s on,” they may have thought. Yet when Lancashire were all out, those Middlesex players went over to congratulate Jones, who had just become the youngest Lancashire batsman since Cyril Washbrook in 1935 to carry his bat through a completed innings.