Ben Trevor-Jones - focus on being the best version of yourself
B3 Cricket | March 12, 2023
Ben Trevor Jones feel in love with cricket playing and following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in Bathurst 200 kilometers west of Sydney.
He played all his junior cricket in Bathurst before moving to Sydney to play grade cricket for Hawkesbury. Ben progressed through the grades at Hawkesbury to make his first grade debut at the age of 21.
In 2014/15 Ben transferred to Sydney University Cricket Club and became first grade player number 742 for Sydney University.
Now playing in the United Kingdon Ben continues to enjoy the game and has fond memories of playing grade cricket in Sydney.
Let’s find out more about Ben’s journey and insights into the game.
Interview sponsored by B3 Cricket
What year you were born?
1991 in Bathurst, NSW
Can you remember your first game of cricket?
I recall my first game of cricket in Bathurst as a 5 or 6 year old for Rugby Union CC. My memory has faded on the results, however I recall my immediate love for the game. Cricket was a favoured sport in my family, with my father and grandfather both being very keen cricketers. To skip on a few years, I remember being selected in the Bathurst Under 12’s side and it was the proudest moment of my life. I felt I had found my identity in cricket and nothing has ever changed since that moment.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I played my cricket in Bathurst and the Central West until I was 17, starting off in the junior ranks and progressing to local 1st grade with Bathurst City Redbacks where I made my debut as 15-year-old bowling leg spin. My leg spinners gradually took a back seat to my batting and I decided to make the move to Sydney to play for Hawkesbury CC in season 2010/11. I played 5 seasons for the Hawks until I moved to Sydney University CC in 2014/15 where I have continued to play ever since. I’ve also been lucky enough to play for a few fantastic cricket clubs in the UK, including Oulton CC in the Central Yorkshire League, Teddington CC in the Middlesex League and my current club Papplewick & Linby CC in the Nottinghamshire League.
Bathurst District Cricket Club
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
I made my debut in 3rd grade for the Hawks in season 2009/10. By this stage I had put the leg spinners in the locker and had decided to transform myself into a wicketkeeper/batsman. I spent the entire winter of 2010 working on my wicket keeping in preparation for turning up to Hawkesbury grade trials and convincing them I’d done it for years! I deemed it a success initially with my selection in the 3rd grade side, however I was found out by a few long days in the dirt and eventually finished the season in 4th grade. I went to the UK that winter and honed my wicket keeping skills on some dubious English league wickets and eventually bounced back with the Hawks the following season and started climbing the ranks.
Ben Trevor Jones wicket keeping for Sydney University at the SCG
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
I made my 1st grade debut for the Hawks as a 21-year-old, ironically against my future club Sydney Uni. I only fielded during the game as week 2 was washed out due to rain, however I recall us making early inroads into the Sydney Uni batting line up. When Charlie Matthews got Greg Mail out, he was literally frothing at the mouth in the huddle. I think Maily had dealt the boys a few long days in the Bensons Lane heat over the years, so they were very happy to see the back of him. The Sydney Uni middle to lower order held strong though, through a good partnership between Dave Miller and James Crowley. I then witnessed my first display of unorthodox lower order hitting by Sydney Uni’s Ben Joy, including a six which he carved over third man, much to the bemusement of the Motty and the surrounding fielders.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
I have played a few different roles throughout my career, but right now I would say I’m a batsman.
What were your strengths as a player?
As a batsman, I built my game around a solid defence so I would say this is my strength. The ability to bat a full day in grade cricket was an important part of being a successful side, so I suppose that’s where I found my role in a very strong Sydney Uni side.
Ben Trevor Jones batting for Sydney University
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
I made 144 in 1st grade for Sydney Uni against Blacktown at Sydney Uni Oval. I put on 166 for the 1st wicket with James Larkin, which remains a highlight of my career to date.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
My best bowling figures in grade cricket are 1/8, however since taking the captaincy at Papplewick and Linby this season, I took 3 wickets and 2 wickets in last 2 league games so watch this space...
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
I faced a lot of Ryan Smith from Penrith CC in season 2018/19 and found him to be a very skilful bowler.
I played against Sean Abbott in the 2017/18 final and certainly noticed the step up in pace that comes with a bowler of his calibre.
The third would be Kagiso Rabada who we played against in the World Uni games in Sri Lanka - I’m grateful it was in the subcontinent on a slower wicket!
Ryan Smith
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
I’m going to include a couple that I’ve played with here, as I used to get a good look from behind the stumps.
The first one is Will Sommerville, who is now playing test cricket for NZ! He was a fantastic off spinner and one of the greatest blokes you could ever meet.
Current Sydney Uni leg spinner Devlin Malone is another who I must include as he an absolute wizard with one of the great googlies.
The other would be Usman Qadir who played a season or two for the Hawks. I first played him in a tour game against the Lahore Qalanders and it was literally guess work when he was bowling. He knew we all had no idea as well, which made it even worse!
Will Sommerville
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
There are so many good batsman playing grade cricket and I suppose the three I name will be biased by the fact they scored runs when I played against them.
Essex opening batsman Nic Browne scored a double hundred against us when he played a season for Mosman CC and I thought he was a class player.
Another would be Ben Rohrer, who only made 20 odd when I played him in a T20 but it included an enormous six and I was amazed by how hard he hit the ball.
I’ve played with and against Greg Mail so I’ll have him down as the other batsman. Maily is the Sydney Grade GOAT and is without doubt one of the best batsman I’ve watched.
Greg Mail
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
I’ve witnessed many a good innings over the years but there’s two that come to mind which I can’t split. One was Nick Larkin’s 246 against Mosman at Allan Border Oval. I’ve watched him play many great innings over the years but he was particularly ruthless that day.
The other was a Tim Cummins 100 in the 50 over final against Parramatta in 2018. We were in some trouble early and he did some hard yards to steady the ship and then just exploded in the last 5-10 overs. It was a great innings, made even greater given the context of the game.
Nick Larkin
Was there any bowler in particular who whatever reason always seemed to cause you a few problems?
Without doubt, the answer is Tony Clark. I remember him knocking me over in one of my first games of 1st grade with a ball that is getting me out 10 times out of 10. He ran past me shouting it was the best ball he’d ever bowled, which I found some comfort in hearing.
Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used?
The 1st grade final against Parramatta was probably one of those occasions. They’d fought back well during their batting innings and came out charging in the field. I remember thinking at the time that this was the highest level of cricket I’d played up to that point.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
During my time at the Hawks, 1st grade keeper Tom Decent was near faultless behind the stumps and I don’t think I’ve seen many better than him during his prime.
James Crowley from Sydney Uni was another fantastic keeper and one of the all-time greats when it came to a leg side stumping.
Ben Trevor Jones batting in Nottinghamshire - showcasing the B3 stickers and straight bat
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
The first one is Shane Mott from the Hawks. He was a brilliant cricketer and great leader of the club, but it was the way he played the game that I admired the most. He struck the perfect balance between competitiveness and respect and was one of the most selfless cricketers I’ve ever played with. He changed the way I approached my cricket for the better and he continues to be a sounding board for me.
The second I’ll mention is Ed Cowan, based on a combination of his cricket skills and how much playing for Sydney Uni meant for him. He played a few white ball innings where he was playing at a completely different level, and I felt privileged to be in the same side. He also loved playing for Sydney Uni as much as anyone and for someone who’s played for Australia, it was inspiration for me to keep giving 100% every time I wore the blue and gold hoops.
Shane Mott
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
I was lucky enough to play during a very successful period at Sydney Uni, which included three great captains in Greg Mail, Nick Larkin and Liam Robertson. They all had their different styles but it never felt like much changed when the baton was handed on. We were a tight group for many of those years, so I admired all their abilities to make the difficult selection decisions which often involved leaving out their mates.
Who were the umpires you admired most in terms of decision making and the way they were able to manage a game?
Tony Wilds was a local umpire in Bathurst when I was coming through and is now a well-respected first-class umpire. I’m probably biased in my opinion, but I think he’s one of the best going around. I think it’s his player management that sets him apart, which is basically down to him just being a really good bloke. Darren Goodger was another great umpire and a very good manager of players. I found his decision-making to be great and always enjoyed his company on a Saturday.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
I’ve played with many a funny teammate over the years but I think Max Hope is the number 1. He’s not the most graceful of movers, so it was often some of his actions that brought me the most joy. He took an outfield catch off the bowling of Ben Joy during a T20 in Adelaide and it remains one of the greatest yet funniest things I’ve ever seen.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
This may not 100% fit this category, but it was one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever see on a cricket field. I was playing in the Middlesex Cup final for Teddington and the opening batsman (James Keightley) appeared to be bowled off stump but preceded to replace the bails and convince the wicketkeeper that he’d knocked the bails off. One fielder was having absolutely none of it, as he brought up the very reasonable argument that the off stump was leaning backwards. The game was live streamed so we were able to check the footage and sure enough... clean bowled. We asked Keights after he got it whether he knew what happened and his response was “oh yeah, clean bowled’.
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
I was out hit wicket in a 2nd grade final during my 1st season for Sydney Uni. It was day 1 and the wicket was an absolute belter! I went back to a ball from the off-spinner and my back foot slipped ever so slightly and just tickled the off-stump.
Who was your childhood hero?
It was an iconic Australian team when I was growing up so you could literally pick any of them. Reflecting on it now, I think it would be Ricky Ponting or Justin Langer. Ricky Ponting was such an alpha and always seemed to score runs on the big stage. I also loved Justin Langer for his determination and grit, and I think I tried to take a lot from his game.
Justin Langer
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
I’d love to meet Justin Langer, as I’ve read both his books and enjoy the way he goes about his business. The second would be golfer Tommy Fleetwood as he’s a favourite of mine and comes across as great bloke. The third is Patrick Bamford as I’m a Leeds fan and he’s the man.
Tommy Fleetwood
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Danny Morrison for white ball, Mike Atherton for red ball.
What was your favourite ground to play at?
Sydney Uni Oval is my number 1, SCG a very close second!
Was there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
We had some great battles against Penrith and Parramatta over a few seasons, where we played each other many times. They were always really competitive games and definitely brought the competitive spirit out in both sides.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Nothing beats winning trophies with your mates, so the 1st grade 50 over final in 2017/18 would be the most memorable moment I’ve had playing cricket. I was grateful to be in that Sydney Uni side, so to win a trophy with that group was a special day.
Sydney University
Sydney University
Winning the Derby Cup in the U.K
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
One of the best was a T20 semi-final at the SCG in my 1st season for Sydney Uni. We had lots of players out with rep duties, so there weren’t any great expectations for us against a strong Bankstown side. We only made 130ish in the 1st innings and we put in one of the great fielding efforts to restrict them. We unfortunately lost the final, but I still reflect very fondly on that win.
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
This is the near impossible question to answer as I’ve been lucky enough to play with so many good blokes. Shane Mott answered this question with myself, Dale McKay and Tom Decent so I’m going to say the same to hopefully make the BBQ happen! The three of them together would be one of the great afternoons.
Hawkesbury players celebrate taking a wicket
What are your hobbies?
Nothing too exciting really. I love my golf, so I try and get around and play as many different courses as I can. I also enjoy travelling to different countries and seeing how other cultures go about their business. This has obviously been very difficult over the past 2 years, although I’ve managed to get away a few times over the past few months.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Don’t compare yourself to others, focus on being the best version of yourself.
What is your occupation?
I’m a physio at Loughborough University, where I work between the tennis and cricket programs. Prior to this role, I worked at Derbyshire County Cricket Club for 3 seasons.
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Yes! I’m captain at Papplewick & Linby CC in the Nottinghamshire Premier League. I moved to the UK to explore a work opportunity however I’m still living the cricket dream. I aspire to play grade cricket again, but work had to eventually take the lead, so I’ll have to wait and see.
If you were running a state cricket association what would be your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
I don’t think I could add much to what already happens in Sydney to be honest. Having the 1st class cricketers playing as much as possible lifts the standard of cricket but also gives other players a level to aspire to. Regular investment into the facilities will also help clubs continuously lift the standard of their training which inevitably flows into a higher standard of cricket on a Saturday. It’s great to see some 1st grade games being streamed on Kayo lately as I think it’s very worthy of that level of coverage.
