January 1993. Benson and Hedges World Series Cup. Australia was taking on the West Indies for the first final. Two spirited personalities - Dean Jones and Curtly Ambrose came against each other. Not exactly for conventional reasons. Chasing 240, Dean Jones walked out to bat at the loss of David Boon’s wicket.
After taking guard, Jones walked up to umpire Terry Prue with an unusual request. Prue turned to Ambrose and asked him to remove the white wristband from his right hand. Ambrose was bowling with the white ball, and Jones complained that the wristband made it hard to pick up the release. The six-feet-eight Antiguan already had a reputation as a terrifying proposition; the request sent a murmur through the ground.
Ambrose would not budge. The umpires could not sway him either. In the end, captain Richie Richardson had to step in and convince his spearhead to take the wristband off. At the other end, Mark Taylor struggled to understand what Jones had just set in motion. Now it was no longer just Jones versus Ambrose; the entire West Indies side wanted a piece of him.
If you’re enjoying reading this post, consider SHARING my newsletter for free with your friends and colleagues, and help my blog reach a larger audience! Come, let’s celebrate and enjoy cricket together!
What followed was pure carnage. Ambrose grew quicker, meaner, and more menacing after the confrontation. “The next three deliveries were probably the quickest I ever faced!” Jones would later say.
Jones had intended to get under Ambrose’s skin; instead, he lit a fire. Ambrose later recalled:
“I was really upset with him and I told myself I’m going to make it damn hard for him. I’m really going to rough him up. I wasn’t going to hurt him, but I was going to make him uncomfortable.”
Ambrose wreaked havoc on Australia, finishing with figures of 5 for 32. Australia lost both the match and series.Jones admitted it was a serious lapse in judgment, one that hurt not just him but his team. He never tried a stunt like that again. In later years, he and Ambrose would laugh about the moment, but the episode stayed with Jones for the rest of his life.
New story drops every Wednesday!
In this blog, I unearth forgotten gems, celebrate historical triumphs, and explore the finest literature from the world of cricket.
If you find these stories meaningful, or if they show you why cricket is important on and off the field, consider sharing them or subscribing.
Maybe consider buying me a cup of coffee?
While everything on CFC is free to read, we have been a reader-supported platform since the beginning Your support helps me sustain this dream and to keep researching, writing, and traveling to cricket grounds to bring you stories that matter.
It is one of cricket's famous incidents. Got reminded of this recently when Steven Smith asked Brydon Carse to put his sunglasses at the back of his head.
Yes, only this time the incident was much more cordial and less fiery 😅