Twelve years and 225 matches for England.
In the time between Amy Jones’ international debut and her maiden century; England have had six head coaches, full-time professional contracts have been introduced and expanded across the domestic game, and Alice Capsey completed her last three years of primary school, whole of secondary school and played 24 ODIs as Jones’ teammate.
There have been a couple of occasions when Jones came close to breaking that duck. She was run out on 94 against India in Nagpur in 2018, having needed a six off the last ball of the innings to reach three figures. There was a 91 against West Indies the following year, and more recently a brilliant unbeaten 92 in Wellington, rescuing England from 79-6 to chase down more than 200.
If that innings in New Zealand was an important one in Jones’ career, coming off the back of a string of low-scores and showing that she could do the hard yards in a tricky chase where previously she’d stumbled, the context to the knock she played in Derby today made this one even more significant.
Following their Ashes drubbing, the lack of jeopardy England’s core have faced in keeping their places over the last decade was pinpointed as part of the reason for the side’s stagnation. While there were no real calls for any of the big beasts – Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Tammy Beaumont – to lose their positions, Jones felt vulnerable.
11th ODI century for Tammy Beaumont ✅
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 30, 2025
First ODI century for Amy Jones ✅
England Women made a flying start against West Indies with a 222-run opening stand, their highest in nine years👏#ENGWvWIw #Cricket pic.twitter.com/RFSRSRarZq
Despite her career having spanned a similar timespan and number of matches to her peers, and having been established as England’s best option behind the stumps since Sarah Taylor’s retirement, Jones legacy isn’t in the same bracket. With an ODI average of 30, still with that duck in the hundreds column and having not scored a T20I half-century since 2020, she sits statistically below the top brass. That's better reflected in her stats against the best sides, averaging less than 20 in ODIs against Australia and India. There was also the criticism she copped in Australia for mismanaging an important chase in the second Ashes ODI.
After setting up a very doable sub-200 to win, England should have pounced on their opportunity to level the series. Instead they spiralled to 159 all out. While the main fault of that loss should be pinned on the five wickets they lost in the first half of the innings, it was Jones who took the brunt of the blame in its wake. Nine wickets down and with another 22 runs required, Jones turned down the single off the last ball of the 48th over, confused by a no ball bowled before, meaning Lauren Bell was left to take strike for the first ball of the next. She was bowled immediately, sealing the loss.
Despite it being unlikely that England would have won had Jones faced that over, and also being the unbeaten highest scorer of the innings, Jones ‘mind-blank’ was singled out. It was a clear error on her part as the senior batter, and another example of England’s failure under pressure, but not her loss to singularly bare. Jones went on to return four single digit scores out of her six remaining innings on the trip
In that context, it was a big show of faith from Charlotte Edwards to back her to open with a 50-over World Cup less than five months away. Even more so considering the last time she opened for England in an ODI was five years ago, and her not particularly encouraging start to the domestic summer for The Blaze. If the feeling was that Jones was drifting down the order, not particularly suited to the innings-finisher role and in need of a fresh start to push her career to the level she’s consistently sat below, that faith was vindicated in Derby.
It was by no means a perfect knock. Having taken little time to get into her stride, reaching her half-century off 59 balls, she was frustrated as the hundred loomed closer, picking out the fielders while Beaumont cleared the boundary. She was also dropped on 91 and then again five balls later. But when she was dealt a short, wide delivery from Cherry-Ann Fraser, she pumped it past extra-cover to finally win the right to take off her helmet and salute the balcony.
Outwardly, Edwards' celebration was more emphatic than Jones’ – standing on that balcony beaming from ear to ear with her hands clapping above her head. There will be tougher opposition than West Indies when India tour next month, and the World Cup will be the ultimate test of how deep the changes Edwards has made so far go. But the revitalisation of Jones’ role has the potential to be one of her most decisive moves, for player and side alike.
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