The late Dean Jones left a lasting imprint on all those that played with and against him and those who idolised him from the confines of the couch.

Sandhurst Cricket Club premiership captain/coach Craig Howard was a team-mate of Jones during his 16-game career with Victoria in the 1990s.

"Deano had an unbelievable will to win and a pretty strong ego, which probably affected some relationships at times,'' Howard said on Friday.

"You couldn't fault his passion for the game and his willingness to provide his opinion on the game.

"He inspired the next generation with his professionalism, his running between wickets and his fielding.

"It sparked and created that era where Australian cricket dominated all forms. I think a lot of that had to do with how Deano went about his cricket."

Read more: Cricket world shocked by Jones' passing

Bendigo United Cricket Club great Matt Pinniger was a premiership team-mate of Jones at Melbourne Cricket Club.

Pinniger was a wide-eyed teenager when he arrived at the Demons and soaked up everything he could from Jones.

"Deano was terrific no matter if you were a first XI player or a fourth XI player,'' Pinniger said.

"He was a larger than life character, he was infectious and a legend. You'd hang off every word he said.

"He was extremely generous and a good friend."

Read more: Jones returns to the QEO

Howard was just 18 when he made his debut for Victoria and Jones was the first player to make the young spinner feel welcome.

"In my first game for Victoria, Deano was one that took his time to try and get to know me,'' he said.

"While he was waiting to bat he sat down and spoke to me and wanted to know everything about me. I was just an 18-year-old leg-spinner and I really appreciated that he made the effort to make me feel comfortable.

"Like everyone else, he was my hero growing up, so that was a fond memory to have."

It didn't take long for Howard to get an introduction to Jones' competitive streak.

"At one of my first training sessions he bet me a dozen crownies that I couldn't get him out and I reckon I got him out three or four times,'' Howard said.

"A couple of nights later we were out (as a team) and he made me buy the dozen Crownies because he said I didn't get him out.

"I swear I got him out three or four times, but that was Deano...it comes back to his strong will."

Late in the summer of 1992-93, Victoria needed outright points over Tasmania to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Sheffield Shield final alive.

With the game drawing to a thrilling conclusion, Tasmania decided to shut up shop and play for a draw.

Victorian skipper Jones was flabbergasted by Tasmania's negative tactics and made a bizarre move to keep the game alive.

"Deano got me and Flem to bowl no-balls and wides to get them interested in the run chase again,'' Howard said.

"They got going and got close and then we took a couple of wickets.

"It got down to them needing eight runs off the last two balls with one wicket in hand and I was bowling.

"The number 11 blocked the second-last ball so they needed eight off the last ball.

"Deano came over and told me to bowl four wides so that Tasmania still had a chance to win off the last ball.

Read more: Jones goes into bat for QEO

"I needed to bowl something that was fast enough to get to the boundary so I bowled a seam up ball wide outside off stump, Chuck (keeper Darren Berry) let it go and it went for four.

"The only problem was it wasn't called wide and the umpire signalled four byes. Game over and they were left nine wickets down. Chuck was shattered that it was four byes.

"Deano was creative. He couldn't believe Tasmania didn't have a go at chasing the runs, so he did what he thought was the best way for us to win the game.

"We got a few wickets and gave ourselves a chance, unfortunately the idiot bowling the last ball didn't bowl it wide enough."

Howard battled against Jones several times in Premier Cricket.

Jones was a master of playing spin bowling and didn't like getting out at the best of times let alone to a spinner.

"When I was a young leg-spinner coming through I played against him a few times,'' Howard said.

"Later on when I was struggling with my leg-spin, I was on the outer of the Victorian side, Deano was captain of Victoria and we had a few run-ins.

"When I started bowling off-spin we played against Melbourne one day and I took the first five wickets. Deano was aged in his early 40s by then and he came into bat at number seven.

"He was batting with Linc McRae and, after being five for not many, they put on 180-odd and Deano made a hundred.

"His will to win kicked in and he got the job done as he always did.

"He decided that he wouldn't get out and then later on he opened up and whacked people everywhere.

"It was a testament to his will and how skilled he was."

Pinniger said Jones drove his team-mates to be better players and would do anything to help.

In the summer of 1996-97 - the season before the Demons won the Premier Cricket flag - a young Pinniger made an impressive 70-odd in the final round of the home and away season.

The next week he was dropped for the semi-finals because Jones was returning to the side from state commitments.

"Everyone said it shouldn't have happened, but to be honest I was honoured that I'd been dropped for Deano,'' Pinniger said.

"Deano knicked off for two the next week. He came up to me after the game and apologised and then gave me a brand new pair of Adidas cricket spikes.

"He was just an amazing guy."

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