JONES the Voice left his Burnley Belvedere CC team-mates speechless on Saturday.

For, while Welshman Mick Jones was singing with Nelson's Arion choir at St John's, Great Harwood, his fellow cricketers had to face the music - a man short against Cherry Tree in their Ribblesdale League First Division clash.

And that proved costly, with the game ending in a tie and an entry in the book by the Cherry Tree scorer...M Jones did not bat, gone to choir!

A regular at the Blackburn club explained: "Our second team were restricted to 105 for nine and Belvedere seemed to be coasting to victory. It didn't look as though they were even going to lose a wicket so, apparently, Mick Jones got changed and left early, as he was due to be singing somewhere that night.

"Unfortunately for the rest of the team, they suffered a shock collapse and, at 105 for nine with the scores level, they needed him to bat."

Belvedere third team captain Alan Hiscox said: "Mick arranged with the captain to leave early before the match started. I suppose we could have done with him at the end but we're trying to be philosophical about it."

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