RECORD-BREAKING Dorset run scorer Chris Jones has been given his first chance to take to the field in Minor Counties action this summer, as he joins Chris Park’s troops to take on Cornwall at Werrington CC tomorrow (11am).
The Somerset batsman has been given the green light along with fellow professional team-mate Jack Leach, who featured against Wiltshire at Dean Park last weekend.
On the 23-year-old’s inclusion in the squad, Dorset coach Alan Willows told Echosport: “Jonesy is a Dorset lad so when I phoned him up he was very happy to make himself available. At the end of the day it’s nice to have professional players who want to play for their home county.
“He needs some cricket and, with Somerset being in a strong position at the moment, he wants to have a bat.
“It’s a massive boost because from our point of view, the last time he played for Dorset he broke all sorts of records in Minor Counties cricket.”
As well as smashing those records with two mammoth innings of 175 and 188 for Dorset against Shrop-shire in 2012, Jones produced his maiden first-class century with a score of 130 against Australia last summer, facing the likes of Ashes Winners Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon at Taunton.
Even though Dorset cannot qualify for the latter stages of the Unicorns Knockout Trophy, Willows is keen for his young players to keep learning ahead of their three-day campaign, and believes Cornwall will be a tough test for them.
He added: “If we put in a good performance, with the side that we are putting out we will be in a good position on Sunday evening.”
Dorset: Lintott, Porter, Jones, Webb, Khan, Leach, Park, Wolstenholme, Denham, Hayman, Carpenter
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