Somerset batsman Chris Jones has announced that he will be leaving first class cricket at the end of this season to allow him to pursue a career outside of the game.
Chris who hails from Poole in Dorset graduated through the Academy and was awarded a contract by Somerset in 2009.
He made his first class debut at the end of 2010 and the following season hit his maiden half-century in the Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
In 2011 he made his T20 and CB40 debuts for Somerset and in 2013, after gaining a First Class honours degree from Durham University, he returned to the county and hit his maiden First Class century against Australia at the County Ground.
This season Chris has played in eight Championship matches in which he has scored 339 runs at an average of 28.25, which includes three scores in excess of 50 and a best of 87.
He also played in four NatWest T20 Blast matches in which he scored 56 runs, with a best of 28.
Chris said: ‘After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to call time on my cricket career. While it has been a relatively short career, I feel very privileged to take so many memories and friends with me. Somerset has been a massive part of my life for the past 10 years and so it’s inevitably very sad to be leaving at the end of the year. I, however, feel now is the right time to leave to pursue other avenues of interest in my life.
He added: “I would like to thank everybody at the club for all of their support over the years. It’s a very special club in all departments and I’m sure this will be illustrated with many trophies, as well as International players, in the future.’”
Dave Nosworthy the Somerset Director of Cricket said: “Chris has been toying with his various career options and even though his decision has come rather suddenly and quickly, we fully understand and respect his decision to pursue other business and life interests.
“Chris has been one of our young and talented players whom we have invested a lot of time in over the years and has been a player in whom we saw a very bright future. His century against the touring Australians last season will no doubt stick out in my mind and most of the members – and will serve us all as a reminder as to just how talented he was.
“Sadly we wish ‘Jonesy’ all of the best going forward as we would have loved to have seen a few more innings at the County Ground, but we know that whatever he decides to become involved in – it will be just as much of a success – good luck!”
