Australia's domestic One-day cup renamed as Dean Jones Trophy
Australia's domestic One-Day Cup has been renamed after the late Dean Jones. The Cup is now known as the Dean Jones Trophy. The decision comes after cricket.com.au held a competition to rename the cup. The trophy, which was known as the Marsh Cup for five years, has seen several name changes since its introduction in 1969/70 including the McDonald's Cup, Mercantile Mutual Cup, and ING Cup.
Dean Jones: A pioneer of One-day cricket
Jones, who died in 2020 aged 59, is best known for revolutionizing ODI batting in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s. His explosive right-handed batting was a highlight of the annual tri-series. Jones racked up 6,068 runs from 164 ODIs at an average of 44.61 for Australia, including seven hundreds and 46 fifties. He had a best score of 145 against England.
Jones outshines Bevan and Symonds in trophy naming honor
Jones was preferred over other prominent contenders such as Michael Bevan and the late Andrew Symonds for the honor. The newly christened Dean Jones Trophy will make its debut on March 1, on the occasion of this season's domestic one-day final. On the same day, Bevan will also be honored with the Player of the Match being presented the Michael Bevan Medal in future finals.
Cricket Australia endorses fan-voted trophy renaming
The trophy was renamed following an online fan vote, which was later endorsed by the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Committee and Cricket Australia. One of the main criteria for selection was an outstanding record in the 50-over domestic format. For many years, Jones set the bar high with his batting numbers. He led Victoria to the title in 1994/95, having scored 2,122 runs at an average of 50.52.
Cricket Australia and Jones's family express gratitude
Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley called Jones an "icon of the game and pioneer in one-day cricket." He said he was delighted to pay tribute to his legacy by renaming the premier domestic competition in his honor. Jones's daughter Phoebe, on behalf of her family, thanked everyone for recognizing their father. She said it was extra special knowing it was fan-voted and would be unveiled at the MCG.
