Tara Murray
The Romsey community is mourning one of its own following the death of former Australian cricketer Dean Jones.
Jones, who played 52 tests and 164 one-dayers for Australia suffered a suspected heart attack Thursday while in Mumbai as part of the Indian Premier League television coverage.
The 59-year-old had called Romsey and the Macedon Ranges home for about 25 years.
Jones, a keen golfer, was a member of the Romsey Golf Club since the early 1990s, regularly playing at the club.
He was club champion in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2017, and part of the club’s 2002 and 2010 successful division 2 scratch pennant teams.
A statement on the club’s Facebook page said those at the club would miss Jone’s competitiveness, passion, enthusiasm, generosity, willingness to encourage young players and positive attitude.
Golf club president Anthony Lakey said Jones would be missed around the club.
“He will be sadly missed,” Lakey said.
“He was the ultimate professional and a fierce competitor.
“He was always a strong club man. He played golf all over the world and he would always come back with ideas.
“Some ideas were fantastic and some were far fetched. He was very supportive of others and always willing to give a lesson on the course.
“He was an all round genuine person and very down to earth.”
Lakey said Jones was very humble despite what he had achieved in cricket.
He recalled a story by fellow golfer Rob McIntyre that Jones was having a bad day on the course one day, so he went over to speak to some kids in the neighbouring cricket nets and gave them some advice.
“Rob went over to speak to the kids and they said he was great, who was he?”
He said Jones was a strong golfer playing off a handicap of one, two or three in recent years, which was hard especially considering Jones’ commentating commitments meant he couldn’t always play.
“He will be sadly missed,” Lakey said.
