Geraint Jones to be released at end of 2014 Season

Kent County Cricket Club has today announced that the Club will not be offering Geraint Jones a contract for the 2015 season.

Jones will rightly be recognisedin the County's long line of world class wicketkeeper/batsmen.

Geraint Jones made his first class debut for Kent in 2001. Since then he has played for the county in 150 first class matches scoring 7048 runs at 34.53, including 14 hundreds, his highest score of 178 was made against Somerset during the 2010 Canterbury Week. In first class cricket for Kent he claimed 466 dismissals. Geraint also featured in 143 one day and 91 twenty20 matches, scoring a total of 3181 to go with his 241 dismissals across both forms of the white-ball game. He was awarded his County Cap in 2003 and enjoyed a benefit year in 2012.

During his time with the county he was capped 34 times for England in Test cricket scoring 1172 runs and with 132 dismissals, his highest Test score was 100 against New Zealand at Headingley. Most famously of course Jones was a key member of the incomparable 2005 Ashes winning side, for which he was awarded the MBE. He will be long remembered for one of the most famous moments in English cricket history when he took the catch off Stephen Harmison to dismiss Michael Kasprowicz and secure a 2 run victory, in the 2005 Edgbaston test. That Test match has since been referred to as 'The Greatest Test Match'.

Jones had success with Kent too. He was a member of the victorious Twenty20 side of 2007 and in the team that were runners up in 2008. He also featured in the Norwich Union League winning side of 2001 and the XI that finished runners up in the 2008 Friends Provident Trophy.

He is alsocurrently continuing the help he has provided to date, both on and off the field, for the Papua New Guinea national team as theystrive to improve their standing in world cricket.

Commenting Geraint said: "I would like to thank the members and supporters for the backing they have given me over my time at Kent. I will look back with a tremendous amount of pride on all that I have achieved with the county."

The Club President and Chairman of Cricket, Graham Johnson, said “Decisions such as these are never easy and Geraint has been dignified in his approach to his contract position and extremely supportive of the squad during the 2014 season. Geraint can be rightly proud of the huge contribution to Kent Cricket that he has made over his career. He has followed in a great line of Kent wicketkeeper/batsmenand will take his place in that dynasty. All involved with the Club wish him well for the future and I am sure the Club's supporters will join me in thanking him for all that he has done for the Club.”