Sir Jack Hobbs
England
Personal information
Full name	Sir John Berry Hobbs
Nickname	The Master
Born	16 December 1882(1882-12-16)
	Cambridge, England
Died	21 December 1963 (aged 81)
	Hove, Sussex, England
Role	Opening batsman
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right arm medium
International information
Test debut (cap 157)	1 January 1908: v Australia
Last Test	16 August 1930: v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1905 – 1934	Surrey
Career statistics
	Tests	FC
Matches	61	834
Runs scored	5410	61760
Batting average	56. The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with whom it forms the Unitary authority Brighton Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland In Cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen go to the Crease to bat Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the Sport of Cricket. This is a list of English Test cricketers. A Test match is an international Cricket match between two of the leading cricketing nations New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county of Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations First-class cricket refers to the class of Cricket matches of three or more days scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players and officially adjudged first-class by Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 94	50. 70
100s/50s	15/28	199/273
Top score	211	316*
Balls bowled	376	5217
Wickets	1	108
Bowling average	165. In Cricket, not out is a term used on scorecards to signify that a Batsman has not been dismissed when the Innings is finished A delivery or ball in Cricket is a single action of Bowling a Cricket ball towards the Batsman. In the sport of Cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings Meanings of wicket Set of stumps Primarily the wicket Bowling average is a Statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the Sport of Cricket. 00	25. 03
5 wickets in innings	–	3
10 wickets in match	–	0
Best bowling	1/19	7/56
Catches/stumpings	17/–	342/–
As of 21 December 1963 Source: Cricinfo

Sir John Berry Hobbs (16 December 1882 - 21 December 1963), generally known as Jack Hobbs, played cricket for Surrey and England. An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of Sports &ndash most notably Cricket and Baseball during For other uses see Stump (disambiguation Stump is a term used in the Sport of Cricket where has three different meanings Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county of The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. Renowned as a very modest and self-effacing man, he was popularly referred to as "The Master". ^[1] He was the only English cricketer and the only opening batsman to be selected as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the (20th) Century. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries The Wisden Cricketers of the Century are five Cricketers who were judged to be the most prominent players of the 20th century as selected by a 100-member panel of Cricket experts

Early life

Hobbs, the eldest of 12 children, was born near Fenner's in Cambridge, where his father was on the staff. Fenner's is the University of Cambridge 's cricket ground Fenner's has hosted First-class cricket since 1848 and many of the world's great players have graced The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England His father was also a professional umpire, and later groundsman and umpire at Jesus College. A referee is a person who has authority to make decisions about play in many Sports Officials in various sports are known by a variety of titles including referee Jesus College in the University of Cambridge was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely. He taught himself to bat by practising with a stump, and played on Parker's Piece, where Ranjitsinhji practised and Tom Hayward looked after the nets. For other uses see Stump (disambiguation Stump is a term used in the Sport of Cricket where has three different meanings Parker's Piece is a perfectly flat and very roughly square green common located near the centre of Cambridge, England. Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji Jadeja, Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar ( 10 September 1872 &ndash 2 April 1933 Thomas Walter Hayward (born 29 March 1871 in Cambridge, died 19 July 1939 in Cambridge was an English Cricketer Cricket nets are practice nets used by batsmen and bowlers to warm up and/or improve their Cricketing techniques He practised incessantly, aiming to emulate Hayward, and played for Cambridgeshire in 1901 as an amateur. He became a professional at Bedford Grammar School in 1902. Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School. Hayward arranged a trial for Hobbs at Surrey in April 1903, and he was taken on immediately. After a two-year qualification period, he made his first-class debut in 1905, playing for Surrey against the Gentleman of England, captained by W.G. Grace. William Gilbert Grace ( 18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English Cricketer who by his extraordinary skills made He was awarded his county cap by Lord Dalmeny after his first County Championship (and second first-class) match, against Essex, in which he scored 155. Earl of Rosebery is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1703 for Archibald Primrose 1st Viscount of Rosebery, with remainder to his issue male and The County Championship is the domestic first class Cricket competition in England and Wales.

His playing career

Jack Hobbs (left) walks out to the SCG with his opening partner Herbert Sutcliffe

An opening batsman, he scored more first-class runs ^[2] and more first-class centuries ^[3] than any other cricketer, records which are unlikely to be beaten since modern cricketers now play fewer first-class matches. The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG is a sports Stadium in Sydney. First-class cricket refers to the class of Cricket matches of three or more days scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players and officially adjudged first-class by the Sport of Cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a Batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen (plus Over half of his career total of centuries were scored after he had turned 40 years old; in 1929, aged 46, he became the oldest man ever to score a century in a Test match. He also scored over 1,000 runs in a season of English County cricket on 26 separate occasions. County cricket is the highest level of domestic Cricket in England and Wales Only four men have ever scored over 1,000 in more seasons.

He established famous opening partnerships for England with Wilfred Rhodes and then with Herbert Sutcliffe, and for Surrey with Tom Hayward and then with Andy Sandham. Wilfred Rhodes (born October 29, 1877, North Moor Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire; died July 8, 1973 Herbert William Sutcliffe (born November 24, 1894, Summerbridge Harrogate, Yorkshire, England; died January 22 Thomas Walter Hayward (born 29 March 1871 in Cambridge, died 19 July 1939 in Cambridge was an English Cricketer Andrew Sandham ( 6 July 1890 in Streatham, London – 20 April 1982 in Westminster, London) was Hobbs and Sutcliffe had no fewer than 11 century partnerships for the first wicket in Tests against Australia. The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. The most famous of these was in the Fifth Test at The Oval in 1926. The Oval PavilionJPG|250px|right|thumb|The Members Pavilion]] The Oval is an international Cricket ground in Kennington, London After four draws, the timeless Test would decide whether England would regain The Ashes. A timeless Test is a match of Test cricket played under no limitation of time which means the match is played until one side wins or the match is tied with theoretically no The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. Australia had a narrow first innings lead of 22. An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of Sports &ndash most notably Cricket and Baseball during Hobbs and Sutcliffe took the score to 49-0 at the end of the second day, a lead of 27. Heavy rain fell overnight, and next day the pitch soon developed into a traditional sticky wicket, and England seemed doomed to be bowled out cheaply and lose the match. "Sticky Wicket" was episode twenty-one of the first season of the TV series M*A*S*H. In spite of the very difficult batting conditions, however, Hobbs and Sutcliffe took their partnership to 172 before Hobbs was out for exactly 100. Sutcliffe went on to make 161 and in the end England won the game comfortably and regained The Ashes.

Hobbs toured Australia five times during his career, and was voted one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1909. The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are Cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their He was also named as Wisden's only Cricketer of the Year in 1926, when he was 44, the fourth and last time that a single player has been selected. As a result, Hobbs is one of only two cricketers named twice as a Cricketer of the Year (the other being Plum Warner, who was also the sole Cricketer of the Year in 1921). Sir Pelham Francis Warner ( 2 October 1873 in Port of Spain, Trinidad - 30 January 1963 at West Lavington West Sussex

Hobbs's selection in 1926 was the result of a great season in 1925. The 1925 English cricket season did not have a Test series and the focus was ostensibly upon the County Championship, except that proceedings were dominated by Jack Hobbs He scored over 3,000 runs and 16 centuries, the latter an English season record until it was beaten by Denis Compton in 1947. Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE (23 May 1918 in Hendon, Middlesex – 23 April 1997 in Windsor, Berkshire) was an English Hobbs carried his bat to score 266 as captain of the Players, the highest score achieved in a Gentlemen v Players match. In Cricket, the term carry the bat (or carry one's bat) refers to an Opening batsman who is not dismissed ("not out" when the team The Gentlemen v Players game was a First-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between teams consisting of amateurs (the Gentlemen and of Press attention had been following him most of the season as his career total of centuries approached W.G. Grace's record of 125. William Gilbert Grace ( 18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English Cricketer who by his extraordinary skills made When his tally reached 124, he was followed to Hove by a massive and anticipant media entourage. "England is waiting with an almost expectant hush," observed The Times's editorial. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. The public, too, flocked to the ground in its droves (even though it was a weekday), but Hobbs, his equilibrium disrupted, missed a straight ball when his score was just one. As Surrey took the match by an innings, there was no second opportunity.

"I am feeling very restless," Hobbs conceded to the Manchester Guardian. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. "I am being weighed in the balance and I am afraid lest I be found wanting. " Against Kent at the Oval, his fears were confirmed once more: he managed just 22. Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing At Gloucester, he had two starts with 52 and 38, and followed with 54 — "Hobbs Falls Again," declared the Evening News, just a little ironically —, one, 49, four and 31 at home against Nottinghamshire, Middlesex and Leicestershire. Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county of Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic He and his media following caught the late train to Taunton, where they with a vast Saturday crowd, which was almost universally disappointed when the hosts won the toss. Taunton is the County town of Somerset, England. The Unparished area (or former Municipal borough) of Taunton has a Population Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county They were all out by tea, however, and Hobbs, after surviving a dangerously-lofted legside stroke early on, batted solidly through to the close.

He relaxed over a tense Sunday on 91 not out, leaving his hotel only to go to church. As he dined that night, he saw from his window the arrival of even more pressman on the late train. On Monday, 16 August, with Hobbs's consent, the play delayed by 25 minutes to allow everyone in a half-mile queue to get into the ground. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting When play finally began, he bunted three singles and then cover-drove a no-ball to the fence. At last, at 11. 37am, after another single, he worked Jim Bridges to leg and clipped through for his Grace-equalling century. As the Somerset players shook his hand, Percy Fender, Hobbs's captain, brought out a glass of ginger ale — it was thought initially to be champagne, but Hobbs was a teetotaller — with which he toasted the crowd. Percy George Herbert Fender (born 22 August 1892 in Balham, London, died 15 June 1985 in Exeter, Devon Ginger ale is a Soft drink flavored with Ginger. History Ginger beer, a strongly flavoured fermented product appeared in the British See also Prohibition, Temperance movement Teetotalism (or T-total is the practice and promotion of complete Abstinence from Alcoholic beverages A young Douglas Jardine was batting at the other end. Douglas Robert Jardine ( October 23, 1900 - June 18, 1958) was an English Cricketer and captain of the England

On the following day, freed from the press pressure, Hobbs drove his first delivery for four and was caught off a no-ball shortly afterwards. Two hours and twenty minutes later, after a missed stumping by Mervyn Hill, he took the record outright with another 101 not out — he had been dismissed for the same score in the first innings — as Surrey chased down 183, Sandham having slowed down for the purpose. ^[4]

It seems to be on account of beating Grace's record, which had been thought unsurpassable, that Hobbs was elected sole Cricketer of the Year by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (often referred to simply as Wisden or colloquially as "the Bible of Cricket" is by far the best From the pavilion after the match, before a crowded throng, Hobbs gave the demanded speech: "I am very happy to have achieved a lifelong ambition. I would dearly have liked making these two hundreds at The Oval, but next to that there is no county I would have preferred to score them against but Somerset. "^[5]

Riding on the back of his increased fame, he was given a second benefit the following season (having already had one in 1914). Many were his sponsorships and endorsements: he was even cast as the lead actor in a silent film. During that 1926 season, Hobbs passed the record for Test runs scored in Ashes contests, formerly held by Clem Hill. Clement "Clem" Hill (18 March 1877 in Hindmarsh, Adelaide, South Australia &ndash 5 September 1945 in Parkville, Melbourne [1] An amusing incident ensued. "When Jack Hobbs passed 60 against Australia in the Leeds Test, 1926, he waved his bat towards a stand where his wife was sitting in front of a group of Australians. Headingley is an inner suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. One of them, Clem Hill, asked: "Ada, why is Jack waving his bat like that?" Mrs Hobbs: "You should know, if anyone does, he has beaten your record of most runs in Test matches". ^[6]

When Surrey played Middlesex at the Oval in August 1930 there was some confusion as to whether Hobbs needed 16 or 26 to pass W.G. Grace's record career aggregate of 54,896. William Gilbert Grace ( 18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English Cricketer who by his extraordinary skills made Just to be on the safe side Hobbs doffed his cap to acknowledge the crowd's applause at both scores and scored 40.

He published a short memoir, Playing for England!, in 1931, scored his 16th hundred for the Players against the Gentlemen in 1932 and retired in 1934. He had played 61 Test matches between 1908 and 1930, with a career batting average in first-class cricket of 50. Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 70. This was despite a four-year interruption to his cricket career due to the First World War, during which he served in the Royal Flying Corps as an Air Mechanic, and missing most of the season in 1921 due to first a thigh injury and then appendicitis. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Royal Flying Corps (RFC was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War.

Later life

After retirement as a player, he took up cricket journalism. Journalism is the profession of writing or communicating formally employed by publications and broadcasters for the benefit of a particular Community of people In 1953, he became the second cricketer to receive a knighthood for his services to the game as a player (two cricket administrators and Don Bradman had previously been knighted). Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. Sir Donald George Bradman, AC (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001 often referred to as The Don, was an Australian Cricketer widely He died in Hove, Sussex. Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with whom it forms the Unitary authority Brighton Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. Gates at the Oval were named the Hobbs Gates in his honour, and the Hobbs Pavilion (now a restaurant) is situated on Parker's Piece, Cambridge. The Oval PavilionJPG|250px|right|thumb|The Members Pavilion]] The Oval is an international Cricket ground in Kennington, London

Each year on his birthday, the Master's Club meets at The Oval for a lunch in his honour. The Oval PavilionJPG|250px|right|thumb|The Members Pavilion]] The Oval is an international Cricket ground in Kennington, London The menu always consists of roast lamb followed by apple pie, as this was his favourite meal. ^[7]

His place in cricket history

In 2000, Hobbs was named by a 100-member panel of experts as the third of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Wisden Cricketers of the Century are five Cricketers who were judged to be the most prominent players of the 20th century as selected by a 100-member panel of Cricket experts Hobbs received 30 votes, behind Sir Donald Bradman (100 votes) and Sir Garfield Sobers (90 votes). Sir Donald George Bradman, AC (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001 often referred to as The Don, was an Australian Cricketer widely Sir Garfield St Auburn Sobers, AO (born 28 July 1936 in Bridgetown, Barbados) often known as Garry Sobers (though earlier in his life he preferred Shane Warne (27 votes) and Sir Viv Richards (25 votes) took the fourth and fifth places. Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969 is a former Australian international Cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, (born St John's, Antigua on 7 March 1952 is a former West Indian Cricketer. Respected cricket commentator and former Australian captain Richie Benaud selected Hobbs in his Richie Benaud's Greatest XI. Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE (born October 6 1930 in Penrith New South Wales) is an Australian former Cricketer who since his retirement from Richie Benaud’s Greatest XI is the title of a 2004 DVD in which Cricketing doyen Richie Benaud selected an imaginary cricket Sydney Barnes was the other English cricketer selected by Benaud. Sydney Francis Barnes ( April 19, 1873 &ndash December 26, 1967) usually known simply as S In 1997 the noted cricket writer John Woodcock ranked Hobbs as the fifth greatest cricketer of all time. John Woodcock OBE (born 7 August 1926) is an English Cricket writer and Journalist. ^[8]

A graph of Jack Hobbs' Test performances

There has been controversy over the exact number of first-class hundreds scored by Hobbs, with figures of 197 and 199 both being quoted. The two disputed hundreds were scored on the 1930-31 visit to Ceylon by the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram's team. Lieutenant Colonel Sir Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju (28 December 1905 – 2 December 1965 better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram or Vizzy Hobbs himself maintained that these matches should not qualify. 'Don't include those,' he told the late John Arlott. Leslie Thomas John Arlott ( February 25, 1914 &ndash December 14, 1991) was a freelance author whose main subjects were sport and wine a poet 'They were exhibition matches. Vizzy wanted to list our hundreds on the walls of his pavilion. We knew we'd got to score hundreds - so did the bowling side. They were not first-class in any sense. ' Wisden Cricketers' Almanack has never recognised these two extra centuries as first-class but other authorities, such as Cricket Archive, do. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (often referred to simply as Wisden or colloquially as "the Bible of Cricket" is by far the best The figures quoted in the table above conform to the higher figure. For a full discussion of the point see note 3 below.

Notes

References

• Mason, Ronald. Jack Hobbs - A Portrait of an Artist as a Great Batsman, 1960.
• Barker, Ralph & Rosenwater, Irving. England v Australia: A compendium of Test cricket between the countries 1877-1968, B. T. Batsford. 1969. ISBN 0-7134-0317-9

Further reading

• Jack Hobbs - profile of 'the Master' , John Arlott, 1981. Leslie Thomas John Arlott ( February 25, 1914 &ndash December 14, 1991) was a freelance author whose main subjects were sport and wine a poet

External links

• Player Profile: Jack Hobbs from Cricinfo
• Gideon Haigh on Hobbs