An Australian International who played as much of his cricket in England as in his native land, Phil Jaques ended his cricket career with Nottinghamshire in 2014 before moving into coaching.
Philip Anthony Jaques was born in Wollongong, New South Wales on 3 May 1979 to English parents. A left-handed opening batsman, he was raised in Australia and played a handful of games for New South Wales but was unable to cement a place in the state side and so moved to England. Courtesy of his British parentage, he signed for Northamptonshire and enjoyed an outstanding 2003 season with 1,409 runs. Over the winter, he broke into the New South Wales side and opted to commit his cricketing future to Australia. When he returned to England, for Yorkshire in 2004 and 2005, it was as an overseas player.
In December 2005, he was capped by Australia and went on to play 11 Tests and six One-Day Internationals. There were further successful years in English cricket. He spent 2006, 2007 and 2010 with Worcestershire, including a particularly prolific 2006 which saw him score 1,148 runs at an average of 88. His International career now over and with a British passport, Jaques retired from First-Class cricket in Australia and returned to Yorkshire in 2012 and 2013 as a non-overseas player.
In 2014, he signed for Nottinghamshire. Initially, he joined on a short-term deal for the early part of the County Championship season as cover for Alex Hales who was expected to secure a deal in the Indian Premier League. In the event, Hales was not successful in the IPL draft and the two batsmen spent time together in the Nottinghamshire XI, combining for a century opening partnership in early June against Sussex.
Jaques performed well during his stay with Nottinghamshire. He made his debut in April against Lancashire and scored six fifties and two centuries in 11 starts in the County Championship. Both of Jaques’ hundreds came against Somerset, with 150no in the match at Taunton and 113 in the return fixture at Trent Bridge, when he and Steven Mullaney put on 203 for the first wicket. Overall, Jaques scored 894 runs and averaged just short of 50.
Jaques was not expected to play white ball cricket for Notts, but ultimately played three T20 matches, scoring 33 runs, when he deputised for the injured Michael Lumb. He returned to Australia to fulfil coaching responsibilities in early July after a Championship match against Warwickshire but before leaving Trent Bridge signed a deal to return for the early part of the 2015 season.
Back home, Jaques was appointed Assistant Coach of New South Wales Blues and was released from the second year of his Nottinghamshire contract. He retired from playing and the Championship appearance at Edgbaston proved to be the final match of a 14-year career spanning two countries.
May 2020
Nottinghamshire First Class Numberr 625