Kent allrounder Peter Jones dies

	Peter Jones in action for Kent in 1960 © EMPICS

Peter Jones, who played for Kent as an allrounder between 1953 and 1967, has died at the age of 72 after a long battle against cancer.

Jones, a solid middle-order batsman and slow left-armer, made his debut as an 18-year-old, but it wasn't until 1960 that he became a regular in the side. After a quiet start to the summer, he scored his maiden hundred and took a then best 4 for 34 against Essex and by the end of the season he had made 1005 runs and taken 31 wickets. In 1961 he scored 1262 runs and took 77 wickets, both career bests. His form slowly fell away and he retired at the end of 1964, although he did make a four-match comeback in 1967.

Jones enjoyed a second career with Suffolk who he started playing for in 1971 when work took him to the county. Between 1971 and 1981 he played in 97 matches, made 3853 runs and took 297 wickets, helping them to the Minor County title in 1977 and 1979.

"Peter could bowl well in all sorts of conditions," Bobby Cunnell, who captained Suffolk for much of Jones' time there, told the East Anglian Daily Times. "He was a master of containment and I would call on him to break up a partnership if a match was running away from us. Much of our success was brought about by having three good spinners in the team and Peter's role was very important."

Roger Howlett, another team-mate said: "He was a class act - a top allrounder and was also one of life's gentlemen."