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Dean Jones’ daughters and wife have paid tribute to the late cricket great by placing his bat, baggy green and sunglasses on the pitch as he was honoured at the Boxing Day Test.
Jones, who was 59, died from a stroke in September while fulfilling Indian Premier League commentary duties in Mumbai.
He was with former fast bower Brett Lee at the time, who desperately attempted to save his life.
Jones was remembered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, as Australia took on India at day one of the Boxing Day Test.
Phoebe Jones, Jane Jones, Augusta Jones, Alan Border, Paul Jones and family/ friends are seen during a tribute for the late Dean Jones during day one of the Second Test match between Australia and India at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day
A Jones highlights package and video tribute was played at 3.24pm, reflecting the facts Jones was Australia’s 324th Test cricketer and his highest first-class score was 324
Pictured: Allan Border, Phoebe Jones, Jane Jones and Augusta Jones walk to the centre of the MCG during a tribute to former Australian cricketer Dean Jones
It was the first time crowds returned to the MCG in more than nine months.
Jones’ wife Jane and their daughters Augusta and Phoebe walked his baggy green, sunglasses and Kookaburra bat across the cricket field during the tea break.
The three women were accompanied by Jones’ friend and former teammate Allan Border.
The crowd cheered with support as Phoebe balanced the bat against the stumps at the Great Southern Stand end of the ground.
Augusta displayed the sunglasses next to the stumps and Jane hung the baggy green off the bat’s handle.
A picture from the pitch showed Augusta bent down to plant a kiss on her father’s baggy green.
‘Dean Jones absolutely loved this place,’ Mike Hussey said on Fox Cricket.
Lee added: ‘It’s quite fitting the tribute was done Australia vs India. He’s loved over there.’
Phoebe Jones (right) is seen holding a cricket bat as she approaches the stumps with her sister, mother and Border
The crowd cheered with support as Phoebe balanced the bat against the stumps at the Great Southern Stand end of the ground
Augusta displayed the sunglasses next to the stumps and Jane hung the baggy green off the bat’s handle (pictured)
Paul Jones acknowledges the crowd at the MCG during a tribute to former Australian cricketer Dean Jones
Australian players gave a nod to Jones by wearing zinc on their bottom lips – one of his trademark looks – during the pre-match national anthem as part of a ‘zinc up for Deano’ campaign.
A Jones highlight package and video tribute was played at 3.24pm, reflecting the facts Jones was Australia’s 324th Test cricketer and his highest first-class score was 324.
‘We’re really honoured to be able to do it today and I’ve seen a few people wearing the zinc,’ Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox said.
‘He made such a contribution to cricket in Australia and Victoria and the MCC.
‘It’s a pretty amazing moment and probably an emotional moment for a lot of people.’
Spectators at the MCG also displayed signs in honour of the cricket great.
A picture from the pitch showed Augusta bent down to plant a kiss on her father’s baggy green
The Australian team look on during a tribute to Jones at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test on Saturday
The family of Dean Jones embrace during Saturday’s tribute at the Boxing Day Test
Months before his death, the former Victorian captain handed back his CV life membership and demanded his name be removed from the state’s annual award for the best men’s one-day player.
Jones cited a ‘lack of culture and vision and strategy’ from the CV administration, which he said ‘hurt’ him, as his reason for the move.
On Saturday, during the opening session of the Boxing Day Test, CV announced Jones’ family had given their backing to reinstate his life membership and return his name to the one-day player award.
‘Dean was one of Victoria’s greatest players and we want his cricket legacy to live on here for many decades to come,’ CV chair Dr David Maddocks said.
‘Dean was fundamentally passionate about Victorian cricket and wanted to see us succeed on every level and have as many Victorians playing for Australia as possible.
‘We share that aspiration.
‘We look forward to awarding the medal again in 2021 and in doing so paying tribute to one of our most gifted and popular players who truly invested himself as a Victorian player and supporter.’
The last bat, sunglasses and baggy green hat used by the late Dean Jones are seen placed at the stumps as a tribute to his life on Saturday
Spectators at the MCG also displayed signs in honour of the cricket great. ‘We love Deano,’ one poster read
Dean Jones (pictured), 59, was staying in a hotel in Mumbai with Brett Lee when he suffered a stroke on September 24 and died
Jones was given a private farewell lap of the MCG in October while Melbourne was in lockdown.
His family originally thought he had suffered a heart attack but a coroner from both Australia and India concluded it was a stroke that took his life two months ago.
His sudden death shook the cricketing world along with pop legend, Sir Elton, whose private email, which was written to Lee and paid tribute to Jones, has been made public since.
‘Dear Brett, here goes,’ the letter began.
‘I love spending time with cricketers. I have hung out with many Australian and England players and have had so much fun and wonderful memories. Such great characters and down to earth.
‘Dean Jones was the epitome of friendliness. A very naughty sense of humour and loyal to a fault.
‘Every time we saw each other we talked endlessly about our mutual love of cricket and music.
‘We laughed a lot and drank a lot. I will miss him, as will cricketers throughout the world.
‘Such a colossal talent. Genuine, kind and a giant of a man.
‘Elton x.’
An email that Sir Elton John (pictured) sent to fellow cricketer Brett Lee mourning the death of Jones has finally been revealed
Dean Jones is pictured with his wife Jane (far left) and his two daughters Phoebe and Augusta
Jones and Lee posed for a photo to send to Sir Elton while they were in Mumbai just a week before his tragic and unexpected death.
In the image, Jones is seen smiling widely with his thumbs up as Lee captures the moment.
Unbeknownst to them, a week later they would mourn a heartbreaking death.
‘Only last week I was sent this lovely photo of Dean Jones and Brett Lee in Mumbai,’ Sir Elton wrote on Instagram at the time, alongside the photo.
‘Now Dean has gone. Life is unfair. He was a great cricketer and a wonderful father.
‘My love and condolences to Phoebe, Janey and Gussie.’
A week before his tragic and unexpected death, Jones and Lee posed for a photo to send to Sir Elton while they were in Mumbai (pictured)
Sir Elton (right) sent Lee (left) an email after their good friend and Australian cricket legend Dean Jones died of a stroke (pictured middle is Lee’s wife Lana Anderson)
Lee was at Jones’ side when he suffered a stroke and performed CPR twice on him to no avail.
An ambulance arrived at the hotel and transported Jones to the hospital but he could not be saved.
According to close friends, Jones went for a run on that Thursday morning before suffering a stroke at lunchtime.
Lee described the horrific situation as one that you ‘wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy’.
Jones (pictured) died after suffering from a ‘massive heart attack’
‘It was the most confronting, scariest moment that I’ve ever been a part of in my life,’ Lee told the Daily Telegraph.
He said in that moment he knew he had to jump in and help Jones but sadly ‘there was nothing that could’ve been done to bring him back to life’.
To make matters worse, Lee had to call Jones’ wife Jane, and inform her of the devastating news.
‘To lose a close mate and then have to call his wife, I mean you don’t get any worse combo than that. That was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life.’
The Victorian coroner is investigating the Jones’ death after it was found he died from a stroke and not a heart attack.
‘It is actually under a coroner’s inquiry at the moment, not that they think there is anything other than what they have found, but just that he was a bit young to have the stroke the way it happened,’ Jane told Sydney Morning Herald.
Jones (centre) is seen celebrating Christmas with his two daughters last year
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