Profile of Eifion Jones by Dr.A.K.Hignell - Hon Statistician and Historian to Glamorgan CCC

Player:

Eifion Jones is regarded by many people as being the finest ever wicket-keeper for Glamorgan. He initially joined the Glamorgan staff in the early 1960`s as a specialist right-handed batsman. With coaching from Phil Clift, Eifion developed his skills as a wicket-keeper, and he subsequently became the club`s regular gloveman from 1968 until 1982.

During his career he took a club record of 933 dismissals, and rarely dropped a chance standing up or back. His near faultless displays for the Welsh county almost won him a place on England`s Ashes tour in 1970/71. In the previous summer, the stocky wicket-keeper had claimed more victims than anyone else in the country, but like his older brother Alan, Eifion narrowly missed out on selection for the winter tour.

In 1970 he established new club records by taking 94 victims in first-class cricket and making seven dismissals in an innings against Cambridge University at Cambridge. In 1968 he had also established a record for the highest score by a Glamorgan wicket-keeper, with 146* against Sussex during a partnership of 230 with his brother for the third wicket.

Eifion also holds the record for the most number of appearances for Glamorgan in the Sunday League, playing on 212 occasions. During this time, he claimed a further 223 dismissals to take his tally in every form of cricket to over a thousand victims.