Jack Hobbs

Playername	Jack Hobbs
Country	England
Fullname	John Berry Hobbs
Nickname	The Master
Dayofbirth	16
Monthofbirth	12
Yearofbirth	1882
Placeofbirth	Cambridge
Countryofbirth	England
Dayofdeath	21
Monthofdeath	12
Yearofdeath	1963
Placeofdeath	Hove, East Sussex
Countryofdeath	England
Batting	right-handed (RHB)
Bowling	right-arm medium pace (RM)
Role	opening batsman
International	true
Testdebutdate	1 January
Testdebutyear	1908
Testdebutagainst	Australia
Testcap	157
Lasttestdate	16 August
Lasttestyear	1930
Lasttestagainst	Australia
Club1	Surrey
Year1	1905–1934
Columns	2
Column1	Test
Matches1	61
Runs1	5,410
Bat avg1	56.94
100s/50s1	15/28
Top score1	211
Deliveries1	376
Wickets1	1
Bowl avg1	165.00
Fivefor1	–
Tenfor1	–
Best bowling1	1/19
Catches/stumpings1	17/–
Column2	First-class
Matches2	834
Runs2	61,760
Bat avg2	50.70
100s/50s2	199/273
Top score2	316*
Deliveries2	5,217
Wickets2	108
Bowl avg2	25.03
Fivefor2	3
Tenfor2	0
Best bowling2	7/56
Catches/stumpings2	342/–
Date	18 June
Year	2010
Source	http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/306/306.html CricketArchive

Sir John Berry (Jack) Hobbs (born 16 December 1882 at Cambridge; died 21 December 1963 at Hove) was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches from 1908 to 1930.

Universally known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Master", Hobbs is widely regarded as cricket's greatest-ever opening batsman and holds world records in first-class cricket for scoring the most runs (61,237 or 61,760 depending on source) and centuries (197 or 199 depending on source).

Early years

Childhood

John Berry Hobbs was born at 8 Brewhouse Lane in Cambridge on 16 December 1882. His parents were John Cooper Hobbs and Flora Matilda Hobbs (née Berry). Their home was a cottage belonging to Mrs Hobbs' parents. Jack was the eldest of 12 children. He was christened John after his father and Berry after his mother's family but, like his father, was always known as Jack. John Cooper Hobbs was a slater's labourer at this time but he subsequently achieved a personal ambition by becoming a professional cricketer in the employ of Cambridge University Cricket Club as a net bowler and occasional umpire at the Fenner's ground. Later, he was a groundsman and umpire at Jesus College.

The family moved house more than once and is known to have lived at Norfolk Terrace and Rivar Place, which were both on the east side of Cambridge close to the public playing field at Parker's Piece where there is now an establishment called The Hobbs Pavilion.

Hobbs acquired his love of cricket from his father and said he "took to it naturally (as) the best way to make a decent living". Hobbs began by playing with friends as a young boy and recalled that "the first wicket he defended was a lamp-post in a Cambridge street".

He attended a Church of England boys' school but cricket was not popular there and the playground had football goals painted on its walls. Hobbs first played in an organised cricket match for a church choir team. During school holidays, he helped his father at work on the Jesus College ground In 1896 when he was 13, he left school to work at the college himself for seven-and-sixpence a week.

Development as a cricketer

Hobbs had minimal coaching as a boy and played as often as he could, effectively teaching himself how to bat by trying to "produce the strokes which he had seen players use in college matches". The narrow straight stump helped him to appreciate "the importance of playing a straight bat" and, with his "natural assets of a keen eye and flexible wrists", he learned to hit the ball with confidence using a wide variety of strokes. It was here that Daniel Hayward, brother of "Old" Tom Hayward and father of "Young" Tom Hayward, acted as groundsman and looked after the nets. When not working at the college or doing his chores at home, Hobbs practised incessantly and aimed to emulate the younger Hayward who was playing for Surrey and England at that time. His performance for Ainsworth earned him an invitation to play for Cambridgeshire against Hertfordshire as an amateur. Cambridgeshire won by 158 runs and Hobbs, batting at number nine scored 30 and 0. In the first innings, he shared in a stand of 81 for the eighth wicket with Arthur Rich.

In 1902, dissatisfied with the prospects of working at Jesus College, Hobbs applied for and was offered a job as an assistant professional at Bedford Grammar School. Much of the work involved groundsmanship and bowling in the nets but he was also expected to umpire school matches and this enabled him to visit London for the first time. At the end of the school term, Hobbs returned to Cambridge and played as a professional for the first time when he was paid ten shillings to represent Royston Cricket Club against Hertfordshire Club and Ground. He scored 119 and this innings gave much pleasure to his father who died only a week later. Another application had been sent to Essex whose secretary ignored it.

Hobbs was awarded his county cap by Surrey captain Lord Dalmeny after his first County Championship match, against Essex at The Oval, in which he scored 155.

Having scored 289 runs in his first two matches, Hobbs lost form as the hard work of continuous cricket took its toll, a problem encountered by young players, and Surrey moved him down the batting order. However, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in its 1906 edition commented that "(Hobbs) may fairly be regarded as the best professional batsman Surrey have brought forward in recent years" but went on to advise Hobbs to "brighten up his fielding". He scored 2 centuries and 4 half-centuries and held 21 catches, a seasonal total he exceeded only once: in 1911. He took 4 wickets with his occasional medium pace, his best analysis being 1–12.

1906 to 1914

Hobbs established a famous opening partnership for Surrey with Tom Hayward and, as an England opener, another with Wilfred Rhodes.

1906 English cricket season

Hobbs improved on his first season and his average in 1906 was nearly 15 runs higher than in 1905. Wisden in 1907 said he was "one of the best professional bats of the year" and acknowledged a significant improvement in his fielding. But Hobbs began the season facing a challenge as he had to "demonstrate to himself, to the Surrey committee and to the general cricket world that his falling off in 1905 was not fundamental". He received much encouragement from his team mates, especially Hayward who was "an immense help and reassurance" even though neither of them were great talkers, in Hobbs' case because he was shy while Hayward was generally too busy "getting on with the job". He began with a couple of useful scores and then, with 79 and 69 against Hampshire, scored fifty-plus twice in the same match for the first time in his career. Hobbs' 1906 season aggregate was 1,913 at 40.70 with a highest score of 162 not out against Worcestershire at The Oval. He scored 4 centuries and 10 half-centuries and held 9 catches. He may have been considered for a place in the England team against South Africa that season but, realistically, his best hope was to be chosen in the squad to tour Australia the following winter.

In May, Hobbs was dismissed for 0 and 1 by Nottinghamshire and this was the nearest he ever came to "bagging a pair" (i.e., being dismissed for nought/zero in both innings of a match).

In one week in June, playing in successive matches against Cambridge University and Middlesex, Hayward and Hobbs achieved first-wicket partnerships of 108, 125, 147 and 105 in the consecutive innings. This remains a unique feat.

Hobbs' 1907 season aggregate was 2,135 at 37.45 with a highest score of 166 not out against Worcestershire at The Oval. He scored 4 centuries and 15 half-centuries and held 12 catches. England, captained by Arthur Jones won the match by 1 wicket but it was their sole success. Having been described as "a third team" before leaving England, Jones' side were beaten four-one in the series. But Hobbs did enough to establish himself as an England player as, until he retired from Test cricket in 1930, he was always selected by England if he was available.

When Surrey played Kent at Rectory Field, Blackheath, Hobbs produced an innings of 106 that was acclaimed "a masterpiece". He stayed for 210 minutes and hit 15 boundaries although his team were dismissed for only 183 to lose the match by 206 runs. His team mate Bill Hitch said of that innings: "To be at the opposite end to Jack that day was blinding; you realised your batting wasn't even the same job. The depressing thing was, he made it look so easy". The next highest score was 16 not out by the number 10 batsman.

Hobbs' 1908 season aggregate was 1,904 at 37.33 with a highest score of 161 against Hampshire at The Oval. He scored 6 centuries and 7 half-centuries and held 13 catches.

1909 English cricket season

In 1909, Hobbs scored 919 runs in the month of May, missing the thousand in a month target by only 81 runs. Hobbs scored 62 not out in what was described as "a brilliant innings".

Having scored 162 against Hampshire at Bournemouth in June, Hobbs went eleven innings without reaching 50. Then, in early July, he injured a finger in Surrey's match against Lancashire at Old Trafford and was out of action for nearly a month. When he returned at the beginning of August, he had another six innings without a good score before scoring 133 and 59 for Surrey against Gloucestershire at Bristol. But he then endured another lean period of six innings before his next half-century. His highest score in the remaining matches was 84 against Leicestershire at The Oval.

Hobbs' 1909 season aggregate was 2,114 at 40.65 with a highest score of 205 against Hampshire at The Oval, this being his first double-century. He scored 6 centuries and 7 half-centuries and held 10 catches.

MCC played a match against a team called The Reef and, for many years, it was considered a first-class fixture but subsequently it was discounted as such by the South African authorities. Hobbs scored 39 and 31 in the game and CricketArchive has removed these 70 runs from his first-class record, although Wisden and Playfair have not accepted the official SABC ruling and continue to recognise the game. He scored 3 centuries and 14 half-centuries and held 19 catches. That was his maiden century in the fixture and he would go on to score a record 16, beating W G Grace who had scored 15. He scored 4 centuries and 13 half-centuries and held a career-high 34 catches.

Australia won the First Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground by 146 runs after some fine bowling by their leg-break and googly bowler Ranji Hordern who had match figures of 12–175. Hobbs scored 63 and 22, completing 1,000 Test runs in the process. England won the Second Test at Melbourne (a timeless match) by 8 wickets. Australia were dismissed for 184, Sydney Barnes taking 5–44 and England replied with 265 ("Young Jack" Hearne 114, Rhodes 61, Hobbs 6). Australia scored 299 to set England a target of 219. England lost Rhodes and George Gunn but both gave solid support to Hobbs who scored 126 not out. Hobbs was "at his very best, especially in his square and late-cutting, and his mastery over Hordern was a great example and encouragement to his comrades".

In the Third Test at the Adelaide Oval, Australian captain Clem Hill won the toss and batted first on a good wicket but his team collapsed and were all out on the first day for only 133, Frank Foster taking 5–36. Hobbs and Rhodes reached close of play with England on 49–0 and secured first innings lead next day before Rhodes was out for 59 at 147–1. Hobbs went on until he was caught for 187 (equalling his highest Test score) at 323–4 and England eventually reached 501 all out. Australia fought back and scored 476 (Hill 98) but it was not enough and, although Hobbs went for only 3 in the second innings, England scored 112–3 (Rhodes 57 not out) to win by 7 wickets. Hobbs "made no mistake of any kind till he was well past his century" and "showed as complete a mastery over the bowling as at Melbourne a fortnight before". The stand between Hobbs and Rhodes was achieved "by perfect cricket and wonderful running between the wickets".

Hobbs was a great success in the field too, running out fifteen batsmen in all matches on the tour. The performances of Rhodes and himself were described as "phenomenal" and it was on this tour that Hobbs "joined the ranks of the unquestionable immortals". He scored 3 centuries and 2 half-centuries and held 8 catches.

Hobbs' 1912 season aggregate was 2,042 at 37.81 with a highest score of 111 against Lancashire at Old Trafford. He scored 3 centuries and 14 half-centuries and held 14 catches. He scored 9 centuries and 12 half-centuries and held 16 catches.

His highest score on the tour was 170 against Cape Province at St George's Oval, Port Elizabeth. He averaged a very high 74.45 and scored 5 centuries and 8 half-centuries. He held 13 catches. He scored 11 centuries (including 3 double-centuries) and 6 half-centuries and held 15 catches. This should have been Jack Hobbs' benefit match. In all the confusion, the game was poorly attended and the takings did not meet expectations. Surrey offered to keep the gate money on this occasion so that Hobbs could have another benefit after the war ended. Hobbs agreed to this, although he had no way of knowing if or when it could ever happen.

He was able to play some cricket in the Bradford League until 1916 and once batted against Sydney Barnes, the only time they were ever in opposition. Hobbs scored what Barnes himself called a "chanceless century".

1919 English cricket season

Surrey kept their promise and granted Hobbs a postponed benefit in 1919. He used the proceeds to open a sporting goods shop on Fleet Street. His season aggregate was 2,594 at 60.32 with a highest score of 205 not out against the Australian Imperial Forces XI at The Oval. He and Jack Crawford inflicted Kent's only defeat of the County Championship season at The Oval in a match which finished in pouring rain, in what was his benefit match. Surrey needed 96 to win with just 45 minutes of the match remaining, and Crawford and Hobbs got the runs in 32 minutes off 12.1 overs, Hobbs' share being 47 not out. The crowd carried Hobbs shoulder-high into the pavilion when victory was achieved. Hobbs scored 8 centuries and 14 half-centuries including a unique three centuries in one season for the Players against the Gentlemen. He held 10 catches He scored 4 centuries and 1 half-century and held 6 catches. He scored 1 century and 1 half-century and held 1 catch. He scored 10 centuries and 9 half-centuries and held 11 catches. He scored 5 centuries and 8 half-centuries and held 11 catches. He scored 6 centuries and 10 half-centuries and held 16 catches. He scored 3 centuries and 5 half-centuries but, although he played in 10 matches, he held no catches. He exceeded 3,000 runs for the first time by scoring 3,024 and he completed 16 centuries, the latter an English season record until it was beaten by Denis Compton in 1947, with a highest score of 266 not out for the Players against the Gentlemen at North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough. Hobbs topped the national batting averages for the first time with 70.32.

In the Gentlemen v Players match at Scarborough in September, Hobbs captained the Players and carried his bat to score 266 not out, the highest score achieved in the history of the fixture.

But the most famous achievement by Hobbs in 1925 was the establishment of a new world record for the most centuries in a first-class career. The media had been following him for much of the season as his total approached W G Grace's record of 126. Hobbs came within one of the record when he scored 105 for Surrey against Kent at Rectory Field, Blackheath in July. A large crowd gathered at Hove for Surrey's next match against Sussex, along with increased media interest but Hobbs was out for just one in his only innings and the record continued to elude him in his next five matches against Kent, Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire, Middlesex and Leicestershire.

This phase of Hobbs' career engendered "virtually the first instance of media pressure on cricket". It would become common in a few years with Don Bradman and bodyline but "for the moment it was new". Hobbs found himself the focus of interest of "a whole caravan of reporters, cameramen, photographers and feature writers" who "fell in behind him". Even Hobbs, a very placid man, was affected by it and he later told John Arlott that it "frayed his nerves". An example of the pressure was a national newspaper carrying the headline "Hobbs Fails Again" after he had scored 54 against the very strong Nottinghamshire attack. Hobbs survived an early chance of dismissal and batted solidly through to the close with 91 not out, Surrey reaching 151–3 with Douglas Jardine the other not out batsman.

At 11:37, Hobbs clipped a ball from Jimmy Bridges to leg and finally completed his record-equalling century. As the Somerset players shook his hand, the Surrey captain Percy Fender brought out a glass of ginger ale, with which Hobbs toasted the crowd. The drink was initially thought to be champagne, but Hobbs was a teetotaller.

Cricketer of the Year

As a result of his outstanding achievements in 1925, Hobbs was elected sole Cricketer of the Year by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack in its 1926 edition. Having already received the award in 1909, he became only the second player to be selected a second time and the third sole recipient.

Commercial value

In recognition of his celebrity, Hobbs received offers of several sponsorships and endorsements. He was even offered the lead role in a silent film "with a suitable leading lady", but he "backed hastily away".

1926 English cricket season

Hobbs was given a second benefit by Surrey in 1926. This innings beat the 315 not out scored by Percy Holmes the previous season to set a Lord's ground record that stood for 64 years until it was overtaken by Graham Gooch in 1990. In all, Hobbs scored three double-centuries at Lord's.

During this series, Hobbs passed the record for Test runs scored in Ashes contests, formerly held by Clem Hill. He went on to total 3,636 runs and 12 centuries against Australia, both records, and only Don Bradman has exceeded his totals in Ashes Tests. He scored 10 centuries and 12 half-centuries and held 13 catches. He scored 7 centuries and 5 half-centuries and held 4 catches. He scored 12 centuries and 10 half-centuries and held 10 catches. He scored 2 centuries and 7 half-centuries and held 2 catches. He scored 10 centuries and 8 half-centuries and held 9 catches. He scored 5 centuries and 14 half-centuries and held 7 catches. Nevertheless, Hobbs scored 571 runs and 2 centuries in the disputed matches, and additionally holding 5 catches and taking 1 wicket, and these figures have impacted his first-class statistical record with two versions in circulation.

1931 to 1934

1931 English cricket season

Hobbs' 1931 season aggregate was 2,418 at 56.23 with a highest score of 153 in a Scarborough Festival match for H D G Leveson Gower's XI against the touring New Zealanders. He scored 10 centuries and 7 half-centuries and held 8 catches.

Hobbs' 1932 season aggregate was 1,764 at 56.90 with a highest score of 161 not out for the Players against the Gentlemen at Lord's. He scored 6 centuries and 3 half-centuries and held 5 catches. He scored 1 century and 4 half-centuries and held 2 catches. See list in "Additional reading" below.

Style and technique

Approach to cricket

Hobbs was a paradox in terms of his character and personality vis-à-vis his status as a world-class professional sportsman. He was seen as "a gentle, kindly family man, without an enemy in the world", who just happened to play an extremely difficult game "rather better than anyone else around". In tributes to Hobbs, Herbert Sutcliffe said he was "a man of the highest integrity who believed in sportmanship in the highest sense: teamwork, fair-play and clean-living"; and Percy Fender said he was "the most charming and modest man that anyone could meet".

Batting

As we were taking the field against the M.C.C. our captain Herbie Collins said "You must all be on your toes out here today. We'll be facing 'The Master'" I had no idea who "The Master" was so I asked Arthur Mailey. Arthur replied, "'The Master's' Jack Hobbs and you'll soon see why." I did. He tapped the ball here, there and everywhere and had us all running around in circles as if he were the ring-master of a circus and we his obedient and bewildered slaves.' :Hal Hooker

Harry Altham, who watched Hobbs' first-class debut on a "bitterly cold" day on Easter Monday 1905, asserted that Hobbs was, "except in experience, at his greatest" before the First World War. As he got older, Hobbs had "inevitably to forgo some of his early brilliance, but he never lost stature in the process, never became a mere technician, but remained a great artist". Altham believed that Hobbs, despite the statistical evidence to the contrary, "was never very much concerned with the mere amassing of runs but rather with the art of batsmanship and the challenge of a situation". That challenge might be a great occasion, a difficult wicket or a formidable bowler; or a combination of the three as when he and Sutcliffe faced Australia on those sticky wickets. The result was that Hobbs' "stature stood revealed beyond question as that of the greatest English batsman since W G Grace". Given that Altham wrote this in his 1962 edition, he effectively stated that Hobbs was a greater batsman than Sutcliffe, Hammond, Hutton, Compton, May, Graveney, et al. Altham added that although Hobbs was "great in technical resource, of course", it was "in the ease and beauty of style" that his greatness was reflected and, above all, "in that serenity which was the reflection of the man himself".

In addition to his artistic stature and statistical achievements, Hobbs was noted for his consistency. For example, in Test cricket he was dismissed for a single-figure score only 12 times out of 95 total dismissals. This compares favourably with any other batsman including Bradman (14/70) and Walter Hammond (24/124).

The partnership of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, opening the innings together for England from 1924 to 1930, is the most famous in cricket history.

Hobbs is undoubtedly the sauciest run-stealer in the world today. In Sutcliffe, he has found the ideal partner in the felony, for the Yorkshireman unhesitatingly responds to his calls, showing absolute confidence in Hobbs' judgement.

England wicket-keeper Les Ames, himself a top-class batsman, commented on their running together between the wickets by emphasising the placement of the stroke, which was so correct that they could "just play and run". Ames said they were not fast runners and that "Herbert only strolled".

Sutcliffe readily acknowledged his debt to his "influential guide" by naming his eldest son after him and writing, in a booklet published in 1927, that he doubted if Hobbs had an equal and that, as a batsman, "he stands alone (and is) the best I have ever seen". Sutcliffe expressed the view that if W G Grace was as good as Jack Hobbs, "then he must have been wonderful". He said that Hobbs' earliest advice to him had been simply: "Play your own game". Sutcliffe commented: "Four words – they counted for so much. They told me all I wanted to know".

Ian Peebles wrote that Hobbs' association with Sutcliffe "is judged, by results and all-round efficiency in all conditions", the greatest of all first-wicket partnerships and "will probably never be excelled". Peebles said that there lay between the two an "extraordinary understanding, manifested in their perfect and unhesitating judgment of the short single".

The last Test match in which Hobbs and Sutcliffe played together was the final one at The Oval, Hobbs' home ground, in the 1930 series against Australia. But the partnership was revived at the 1931 Scarborough Festival when they produced two double-century stands, first for the Players against the Gentlemen and then for H D G Leveson-Gower's XI against the New Zealand tourists. Their last partnership was for the Players at Lord's in 1932, an innings in which Hobbs carried his bat for 161 not out. Hobbs' biographer Ronald Mason summarised the association of Hobbs and Sutcliffe thus:

Behind them were nine years of wonderful attainment, 26 opening partnerships of 100 or more; a legendary technique and repute unequalled by any other pair; the lean, active quizzical Hobbs and the neat, wiry imperturbable Sutcliffe, who set a standard that can serve as a guide, but defied all attempts at emulation.

Hobbs and Sutcliffe made 15 century opening partnerships for England in Test matches, including 11 against Australia, and 11 in other first-class matches.

Personal and business life

Hobbs married Ada Ellen Gates of Cambridge in September 1906 and their first son, Jack junior, was born in July 1907. The couple had three more children: Leonard, Ivan and Vera.

Honours and legacy

Hobbs was voted one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1909. He was also named as the sole winner in 1926, the third and last time that Wisden has given the award to a single recipient. Hobbs is one of only two cricketers named twice as a Cricketer of the Year, the other being Pelham Warner who was the sole recipient in 1921.

Hobbs has often been included in "all-time teams" selected by individuals but his most notable honours in this sense have paid by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack and the International Cricket Council. In the 1963 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Hobbs was selected by Neville Cardus as one the Six Giants of the Wisden Century. This was a special commemorative selection requested by Wisden for its 100th edition. The other five players chosen were Sydney Barnes, Don Bradman, W G Grace, Tom Richardson and Victor Trumper. Wisden paid a further honour to Hobbs in 2000 when its selection panel voted him the third of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century''. Hobbs received 30 out of 100 votes and was behind only Don Bradman (100 votes) and Gary Sobers (90), making him the top ranked opening batsman and leading Englishman. On 23 August 2009, Jack Hobbs was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

In 1930, Hobbs opened the "Hobbs Pavilion" (now a restaurant) on Parker's Piece in his native Cambridge.

A commemorative gateway, named the "Hobbs Gates" in his honour, was erected at The Oval in 1934, his final season in first-class cricket. He formally retired the following winter and Surrey CCC responded by making him an honorary life member of the club.

In 1953, John Arlott and others founded "The Master's Club", which grew out of the enjoyment that Hobbs had in sharing a bottle of champagne with his friends. As Arlott recounted, the club had "only one rule which was that Sir Jack Hobbs was its perpetual guest of honour". There was "no subscription, no officers, no speeches" and the only toast was to "The Master". Although lunches were occasionally held during Test matches being played in London, there was only one fixed occasion and that was on 16 December each year: Hobbs' birthday. The menu for the birthday lunch was invariably "Hobbs' favourite meal of soup, roast beef and baked potatoes, apple pie and cream, cheese and celery". Guests at these occasions have included many of the most famous names in cricket: e.g., Don Bradman, Learie Constantine and Herbert Sutcliffe.

Career statistics

.]] There has been controversy in some quarters over the exact number of first-class hundreds scored by Hobbs, with totals 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, which also included Herbert Sutcliffe. Wisden and Playfair has never recognised these two extra centuries as first-class but other publications, such as CricketArchive, have included them.

Regardless of which version is correct, Hobbs scored more first-class runs and centuries than any other batsman, the totals being 61,237 runs and 197 centuries according to Wisden and Playfair; or 61,760 runs and 199 centuries according to CricketArchive. It is reasonable to speculate that if he had not missed those five seasons and any overseas tours that were lost to the war, his career total would have exceeded 70,000 runs.

According to CricketArchive's records, Hobbs played in 881 matches and had 1,380 innings. A summary of each innings can be seen on the site.

Hobbs scored over 1,000 runs in an English season 24 times, which is the 5th highest total behind W G Grace and Frank Woolley (28 each), Phil Mead (27) and Willie Quaife (25). He also scored 1,000 runs on the 1909–10 and 1913–14 tours of South Africa.

In his whole first-class career, Hobbs scored 0 (zero) 42 times, representing 3.17% of his total innings. This contrasts with his 199 centuries which represent 15.02% of his innings. The bowlers who dismissed Hobbs for 0 on the most occasions were Ernie Robson and Thomas Wass (three times each). Johnny Douglas (25) and Colin Blythe (17) took Hobbs' wicket the most times (all scores).

Footnotes

• a) Note that there are different versions of Hobbs' first-class career totals. See Variations in first-class cricket statistics for more information.

References

Bibliography

H S Altham, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1962

John Arlott, Jack Hobbs – Profile of "The Master", Penguin, 1982.

Barclays World of Cricket, 3rd edition (ed. E W Swanton), Willow Books, 1986. Article on Jack Hobbs written by H S Altham. See also the article on Herbert Sutcliffe by Ian Peebles.

Derek Birley, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999

David Frith, The Golden Age of Cricket 1890–1914, Lutterworth, 1978

Alan Hill, Herbert Sutcliffe: Cricket Maestro, Stadia, 2007 (2nd edition)

Jerry Lodge, Jack Hobbs – His Record Innings-By-Innings, ACS Publications, 2001

Ronald Mason, Jack Hobbs – A Portrait of an Artist as a Great Batsman, Hollis & Carter, 1960

Judy Middleton, The Encyclopaedia of Hove & Portslade, Brighton & Hove Libraries, 2003

Pelham Warner, Lords: 1787–1945, Harrap, 1946

Roy Webber, The Playfair Book of Cricket Records, Playfair Books, 1951

Playfair Cricket Annual – 1948 to present

Wisden Cricketers Almanack – 1864 to present

Additional reading

Jack Hobbs, Recovering The Ashes, Pitman, 1912

Jack Hobbs, My Cricket Memories, Heinemann, 1924

Jack Hobbs, Playing for England, Gollancz, 1931

Jack Hobbs, My Life Story, The Star, 1935

External links

Wisden Archive 1964 – Jack Hobbs' Obituary

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