Dean Jones Boxing Day Tribute: Allan Border to farewell great mate

When the MCG pauses at tea time on Boxing Day to pay tribute to Dean Jones, Allan Border will be asked to fill a role on behalf of all his former teammates.

Test great Allan Border has been given the honour of being the sole Test player to be part of a tribute to Dean Jones on Boxing Day.

Border will accompany Jones’ wife Jane and children Phoebe and Augusta onto the MCG for a tea time tribute during the Test between Australia and India to celebrate the life of Jones, who died of a stroke in Mumbai on September 24.

Special significance will be paid to the moment when the clock clicks to 3.24pm, the number of Jones’ Test cap.

Mutual congratulations between (L-R) Allan Border and Dean Jones after their unbeaten stand of 208 against the West Indies at the Adelaide Oval, 03 Feb 1989. (Pic by unidentified staff photographer)

Border was Jones’ Test captain and the duo remained close friends and spoke the day before Jones’ death.

“We were great friends and I am really honoured to be part of proceedings on Boxing Day,’’ Border said.

“We shared some great partnerships at the ground. We remained close friends after cricket. I used to stay at his place. We played golf and talked a lot.

(L-R) Dean Jones and Allan Border were regular golfing parters.

“I know Jane and the girls well so I am really pleased to be with them. I have missed Deano. He would always be ringing up with interesting observations.

“He would have comments about how the game was being played. He had constant interest in the game.

“He had a slightly different perspective to a lot of us which I really liked. He had opinions which were not quite mainstream. He could find things in the game which were a little bit offbeat.’’