Maghull’s batting stalwart joins an elite club
When Jon Ring smashed the first ball of Maghull’s innings against Newton-le-Willows for 6 on Thursday night, he not only got his side off to a blistering start of a large run chase. He also achieved something very special. Those runs took Jon to 10,000 runs for Maghull’s 1st XI.
An Elite Club
Jon is one of only four players in club history to breach the 10k barrier. He joins Iain Howie (14,453), Dave Ferguson (12,855), and Stan Millichip (10,276) in the 10k club for Maghull. All four players served as 1st XI captains during their careers, in addition to scoring mountains of runs. Jon is in great company and deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as these club legends.
Where it Began
Jon made his 1st XI debut back in 2003 against Newton-le-Willows. But he had to wait until 2005 for his first runs, with an unbeaten 9 against Caldy after coming in at seven. This was the first of 34 red inkers he has amassed for the 1st team. His first half-century came later that season. Now up to five, Jon hit 70 against St Helens Town in a game Maghull won by 14 runs. Jon has added another 59 half-centuries since this first offering.
Maghull Centurion
Jon notched the first of his 11 centuries for the club in 2008. He hit 103* not out from No.4 against Prestatyn from a total of 292-5. He shared a third-wicket stand of 151 with captain Niall McDonnell (76) in a game that ended in a high-scoring draw. His highest score for the club came during his golden summer of 2019. In 24 games, Jon scored 1,023 runs, with six 50s and two 100s, while averaging 42.63. He scored 165 of them against Alder, an innings that took him just 135 balls. Maghull won by 135 runs. Jon was at the peak of his powers at this time. Between 2018 and 2019, he scored 1,934 runs at an average of 48.35. He racked up 11 50s and smashed five 100s in this span.
Other Strings to His Bow
Jon has been part of two double-century opening stands. He added 203 with Greg Gillespie against Fleetwood Hesketh in 2012, contributing 88. He and Macauley Lawrenson then chipped in with 217 against Norley Hall in 2023. Jon finished with 128 that day. He has snared more than 200 catches for the 1st XI, with 20 in 2011. Jon can also point to 20 wickets for the team over the years, with a best of 4-43 against Prestatyn in 2017.
Everyone at Maghull Cricket Club is pleased for Jon and appreciates his deeds with the bat over the last two decades. Here’s hoping for many more runs in the seasons to come.
