Jono Dean

Having been raised in his home town of Bathurst,{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/big-basher-jono-deans-chance-meeting-restarted-his-cricket-career-20131220-2zr0m.html|title= Big Basher: Jono Dean's chance meeting restarted his cricket career |last=Gaskin|first=Lee|date=21 December 2013|access-date=6 January 2018|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} Dean later lived in Sydney, where he played grade cricket for St George and represented the state of New South Wales at under-19 level. Despite this, he stopped playing cricket for several years before moving to Canberra when he was 23. In Canberra, after a chance meeting with ACT Comets player Adam Heading in a pub, he got back into cricket with Queanbeyan.

Dean became captain of the Canberra Comets, with whom he began his professional cricketing career. In the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons he was in squads with the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades respectively, both teams that play in the Australian national Twenty20 competition the Big Bash League, but he did not play for either side.

Dean was selected in the Prime Minister's XI game against the West Indies first at Manuka Oval in January 2013. Opening, he scored 51 runs off 38 balls.{{cite news|first=R |last=Gibbs|title=Ponting Tips Big Things for Dean|publisher=Cricket Australia |date=30 January 2013|url=http://www.cricket.com.au/news-list/2013/1/30/ponting-tips-big-things-for-dean |accessdate= 4 February 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/flashy-50-will-make-bbl-teams-take-notice-20130129-2djdv.html |title=Flashy 50 will make BBL teams take notice |date =30 January 2013 |first= David |last=Polkinghorne }} Four days later he scored 300 not out in a match for Queanbeyan, hitting 17 sixes and 21 fours in his innings. This was the second-highest grade cricket score of all time in the Australian Capital Territory. After this he started to attract more attention from professional cricket teams.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/triplecentury-maker-dean-keeps-options-open-20130203-2dsyf.html|last=Gaskin|first=Lee|title= Triple-century maker Dean keeps options open |date=4 February 2013|access-date=6 January 2018|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}

Dean was signed by the Adelaide Strikers for BBL{{!}}03.{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/cricket/the-adelaide-strikers-have-signed-british-big-hitter-alex-hales/news-story/5770d8cfcef0867d83c6d8d62ac27a1c|title=The Adelaide Strikers have signed British big hitter Alex Hales|last=Earle|first=Richard|date=23 July 2013|access-date=23 July 2013|work=The Advertiser}} He made his Twenty20 debut for the Strikers on December 22, 2013, against the Hobart Hurricanes, but he did not bat or bowl during the match, which was ended after just six overs of play.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8044/scorecard/654035/hobart-hurricanes-vs-adelaide-strikers--big-bash-league-2013-14/|title=Big Bash League at Hobart, Dec 22 2013 {{!}} Match Summary|access-date=6 January 2018|work=ESPNcricinfo}} Despite his minimal impact on debut, he made a big enough impression on the Strikers during the season that they were interested in giving him another contract. He entered an agreement with the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) before the signing window opened, along with Brad Hodge and Kieron Pollard, for which SACA were fined $50,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/753725.html|title=SACA fined over BBL breaches|last=Brettig|first=Daniel|date=19 June 2014|access-date=6 January 2018|work=ESPNcricinfo}} Despite this hiccup Dean still signed a two-year contract with the Strikers.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/jono-dean-unearthed-adelaide-strikers-batsman-talks-about-his-unlikely-big-bash-league-chance/news-story/5c6d9d6a6b3533fa0140e0add4adcac8?nk=c12855ad84e52edb48b553d4a7bcdebc-1515240467|title=Jono Dean Unearthed: Adelaide Strikers batsman talks about his unlikely Big Bash League chance|last=Baldwin|first=Adam|date=1 November 2014|access-date=6 January 2018|work=The Daily Telegraph}}

Dean started to become an important part of the Strikers' squad in BBL{{!}}04.{{cite web|url=http://www.adelaidestrikers.com.au/players/jono-dean|title=Jono Dean {{!}} Adelaide Strikers - BBL|access-date=6 January 2018|work=adelaidestrikers.com.au}}

In the fifth match of his career he scored his maiden half-century, playing against the Hobart Hurricanes on New Year's Eve, 2014. Dean was originally not in the Strikers' team to play, but was brought in as a late replacement when Brad Hodge was hit by a cricket ball while warming up for the game.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/big-bash-league-2014-15/content/story/815291.html|title=Clinical Strikers crush Hurricanes|date=31 December 2014|access-date=6 January 2018|work=ESPNcricinfo}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cricket.com.au/news/match-report/adelaide-strikers-hobart-hurricanes-match-12-big-bash-league/2014-12-31|title=Ludeman, Dean blitz Hobart in big-hitting special|last=Burnett|first=Adam|date=31 December 2014|access-date=6 January 2018|work=cricket.com.au}} After breaking his bat early in the innings trying to hit a cover drive off of Timm van der Gugten's bowling, Dean accelerated to lead the Strikers to an easy victory, scoring 54 runs from 35 deliveries. He hit four of his last six deliveries for six, bringing up both his half-century and the win with the final six. Despite Dean's improving form, he did not play in the first six matches of BBL{{!}}05,{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash/jono-dean-ready-to-fire-in-adelaide-strikers-big-bash-semifinal-20160120-gm9qzy.html|title= Jono Dean ready to fire in Adelaide Strikers' Big Bash semi-final |last=Dutton|first=Chris|date=20 January 2016|access-date=6 January 2018|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} but he did make an important 48 runs against the Melbourne Renegades in a must-win game, and was rewarded with another two-year contract.{{cite web|url=http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/story/5137208/jono-dean-approaching-every-game-like-its-his-last/|title= Jono Dean approaching every game like it's his last |last=Helmers|first=Caden|date=22 December 2017|access-date=6 January 2018|work=The Central Western Daily}}

Dean started BBL{{!}}06 poorly. In both of his first two matches he scored ducks, which put him under a lot of pressure the next time he batted against the Melbourne Stars. He referred to this innings as the most pressure he had ever been under.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash/adelaide-strikers-jono-dean-to-return-to-act-cricket-in-a-fortnight-after-big-bash-league-20170120-gtv7yr.html|title= Adelaide Strikers' Jono Dean to return to ACT cricket in a fortnight after Big Bash League |last=Polkinghorne|first=David|date=20 January 2017|access-date=6 January 2018|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} The most important innings of his season came later on against the Melbourne Renegades, with the Strikers still needing to score more runs to win the match. He scored 21 runs before being dismissed in the final over, and the Strikers lost by just 6 runs.

Due to shoulder issues, poor form and a deep batting lineup for the Strikers, Dean only played four of the Strikers' ten regular season matches in BBL{{!}}07 and his contract was set to expire at the end of the season. In those four matches he averaged just 16 runs and had a strike-rate of 84.21, putting pressure on himself to perform in the finals in order to get a contract extension.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash/adelaide-strikers-batsman-jono-dean-swinging-for-new-contract-in-big-bash-league-finals-20180131-h0r2xw.html|title=Adelaide Strikers batsman Jono Dean swinging for new contract in Big Bash League finals|last=Tiernan|first=Eamonn|date=31 January 2018|access-date=9 February 2017|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} He was crucial in the Strikers' semi-final win over the Melbourne Renegades, which secured them a home final. He scored 19 runs off of 8 balls and took an important catch.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash/bbl-final-canberra-trio-tom-rogers-jono-dean-and-nick-winter-in-hurricanes-and-strikers-20180203-h0t4q8.html|title=BBL final: Canberra trio Tom Rogers, Jono Dean and Nick Winter in Hurricanes and Strikers|last=Dutton|first=Chris|date=3 February 2018|access-date=9 February 2018|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} Due to Adelaide's dominance, particularly that of Jake Weatherald, Dean wasn't required to bat in the final but was still part of the team that won the tournament.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash-league-canberras-bbl-champion-jono-dean-prepares-to-face-reality-20180204-h0tn9l.html|title=Big Bash League: Canberra's BBL champion Jono Dean prepares to face reality|last=Helmers|first=Caden|date=5 February 2018|access-date=9 February 2018|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}

After leaving Bathurst, Dean played for the St George Cricket Club in Sydney before playing for Queanbeyan District Cricket Club in the ACT Cricket Competition and has been a prolific run scorer scoring over 5000 runs in grade cricket.{{cite news|first=Sam |last=Debenham |title=Dean's Making the Grade|work=Western Advocate |date=4 January 2013|url= http://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/1215355/deans-making-the-grade/|accessdate= 4 February 2013}} On 2 February 2013 Dean scored an unbeaten 300 runs in a single day for Queanbeyan against Ginninderra in a Douglas Cup Match. The innings included 17 sixes and 21 fours and was the second highest individual innings in ACT first-grade cricket history.{{cite news|first=Lee |last=Gaskin |title=Unbeaten 300 puts Dean with Elite|work= The Canberra Times |date=3 February 2013|page=36|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/cricket/unbeaten-300-puts-dean-with-elite-20130202-2drty.html|accessdate= 3 February 2013}} On 2 November 2013 Jono Dean scored 234 and his brother Blake Dean 69 in a total of 6-437 declared against Weston Creek Molonglo.{{Cite news|title=Debutant Scores a Double Century|last=Gaskin|first=Lee|date=3 November 2013|page=38|work=The Canberra Times}} In the 2014 off season, Jono made the move to Weston Creek Molongo Cricket Club where he enjoyed a successful season for the club as one of the highest run scorers (1180 runs across all formats) in the first grade competition. Jono has been named captain for the 2015–16 season for Weston Creek. In October 2015, Jono became the first ACT cricket player to reach 1000 career runs in Cricket ACT's Twenty20 competition. Since moved to Weston Creek Molonglo he has scored over a thousand runs at the club.{{cite web|url=http://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/cricket/viewplayer.aspx?clubid=3340&playerid=1268259&save=0&entityid=3340|title=MyCricket - Jono Dean|access-date=6 January 2018|work=MyCricket}}

Dean was a right-handed batsman and occasionally bowls right-arm off break deliveries, though he did not bowl at Twenty20 level.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/316730.html|title=Jono Dean {{!}} Australia Cricket {{!}} Cricket Players and Officials|access-date=6 January 2018|work=ESPNcricinfo}} His batting style is not conventionally appreciated in longer forms of cricket, and as a result he did not make a first-class appearance or earn a contract with any state associations. However, with the growth of Twenty20 cricket, his ability to score runs quickly enabled him to make a mark in the Big Bash League.

Dean worked for the Australian Department of Agriculture in Canberra, and takes leave from his work every summer in order to play for the Strikers in Adelaide.

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:St George cricketers

Category:Australian cricketers

Category:Adelaide Strikers cricketers

Category:Cricketers from New South Wales

Category:People from the Blue Mountains (New South Wales)

Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen