Sir John Berry "Jack" Hobbs (16 December 1882 – 21 December 1963) was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches between 1908 and 1930. Born into poverty in Cambridge, Hobbs displayed little distinction as a cricketer until relatively late in life. After some limited early success, he began to aspire to a career in professional cricket, and a sudden improvement in 1901 made this more likely. Following the death of his father, the whole family depended on Hobbs but he was supported by Tom Hayward, a professional cricketer who played for Surrey. Hayward arranged for Hobbs to have a trial at Surrey, and after he was successful, Hobbs spent two years qualifying to play County Cricket.

Hobbs was immediately successful when he made his debut for Surrey, but his batting form went into decline in the rest of his first season. However, he established himself in the following seasons as one of the best and most promising professional batsmen in England. He was chosen to tour Australia with an England team in 1907–08, and retained his place in the team when England next played Test matches in 1909. While successful, it was not until Hobbs toured South Africa in 1909–10, where he established his dominance over the feared South African googly bowlers, that he established himself fully at Test level. By the time of his next series, in Australia in 1911–12, he was regarded by critics as the best batsman in the world and scored three centuries in the series. He maintained his position as the world's leading batsman until war broke out in 1914. Hobbs established a very effective opening partnership with Wilfred Rhodes at Test level, and another with Hayward for Surrey. By 1914, Hobbs was batting in a very aggressive, attractive manner that he would never recapture again when his career resumed after the war.

Early life

Childhood Hobbs was born in Cambridge on 16 December 1882, the eldest of 12 children born to John Cooper Hobbs, a slater, and his wife Flora Matilda Berry.McKinstry, p. 21. Hobbs was born in a cottage belonging to his maternal grandfather, situated in a poor, run-down area of the town, but the family moved into their own home shortly after his birth. However, throughout his childhood, Hobbs' family remained in poverty, and conditions for the working class in Cambridge were poor.McKinstry, pp. 21–24, 29. Hobbs later wrote that, although he had a happy childhood, he had envied those who lived a more privileged life in Cambridge's more affluent areas and his childhood experiences left him with a sense of inferiority.McKinstry, p. 23. The family moved house several times during this period.Arlott, p. 18.

Hobbs' father had a great love of cricket and his performances playing for a short-lived club formed by him and his colleagues led to an offer of employment as a professional cricketer at Fenner's, the cricket ground of Cambridge University. His main duties were umpiring matches on the ground and bowling in the cricket nets to undergraduates.McKinstry, p. 26. Although the pay was poor, Hobbs senior was happy to have achieved his lifetime ambition of a career in cricket. In 1889, he was appointed to the more prestigious position of groundsman and umpire at Jesus College,McKinstry, p. 31. where Hobbs junior was able to watch cricket practice and occasionally become involved, although he received little formal coaching from his father, who was reluctant to exploit his position.McKinstry, pp. 31–32. Nevertheless, Hobbs soon acquired a love of cricket from his father. Hobbs later claimed that his father rarely coached him,Arlott, p. 19. but his mother once recounted that Hobbs senior "trained him carefully since he was old enough to hold a bat".McKinstry, p. 32. From an early age, Hobbs played cricket whenever he could and his first games were played in the streets near his house.McKinstry, p. 27. He and his father frequently discussed the game and Hobbs closely followed local cricket.

Hobbs was educated at a primary school affiliated with his local Anglican church, St Matthew's. In 1891, he moved to York Street Boys' School, where in contrast to his previous school, his family had to pay fees for him to attend. He later wrote that he was a poor scholar but was more successful at sports. Both he and his mother later recounted that he was rarely in trouble at home or school, except when carrying out practical jokes.McKinstry, p. 28. He was also heavily involved in St Matthew's Church, and was a member of the church choir. Although his first appearance in a cricket match was as a last minute substitute playing for Jesus College choir, he played regularly for the St Matthew's choir team, which he went on to captain, and the York Street school team. He was also a founder member of a team called the Ivy Club which played on Parker's Piece.McKinstry, p. 33. During holidays, he helped his father at work on the Jesus College ground.Arlott, p. 22. In his final year at York Street, in order to supplement the family budget, he took a job working before school hours in the domestic service of a private house where his duties mainly involved cleaning.Arlott, pp. 21–22.McKinstry, p. 35. When he left school in 1895, Hobbs initially worked as an errand boy before his father's connections at the university helped him to get a summer job as a college servant, chiefly assisting the cricket team. Then, aged 16, he began a potentially more permanent career working as an apprentice gas fitter.

He continued to practise hard, batting in the mornings and evenings on Parker's Piece; the cricket pitches here were poor quality and some critics have attributed Hobbs' later success to his formative years on difficult batting pitches.McKinstry, pp. 33–34. Even so, he did not stand out as a cricketer at this time, in contrast to other successful batsmen who excelled from an early age. No coaches or teams approached him and he was 18 years old before hitting his first century. Hobbs later admitted that he was a slow developer, and there seemed little realistic prospect at this time of him pursuing a career as a professional cricketer like his father, although he continued to harbour the hope.McKinstry, pp. 34–35.

Development as a cricketer Hobbs' breakthrough came in 1901, and he began to believe he could succeed as a cricketer. His batting improved throughout the season, during which he appeared for two local sides, Ainsworth and the Cambridge Liberals. Appearing for the former against the latter, he scored 102, his first century. His performances in the season meant that he was picked for an annual charity match played between a team representing Cambridge and a team of professional cricketers brought by the Cambridge-born Surrey cricketer Tom Hayward. Hobbs was a last minute replacement, and although he scored just 26 not out, was comfortable playing against the professionals; Hobbs was delighted that he could compete at a higher level,McKinstry, pp. 38–39. and he began to understand the best way to bat effectively. At the end of the season, he was invited to play as an amateur for Cambridgeshire, even though his record in club cricket was unremarkable. He was not particularly successful,Mason, p. 21. reaching double figures just once, but his experiences in the season increased his determination to pursue a career in cricket.McKinstry, p. 39.

Early in 1902, Hobbs successfully applied for the job of assistant professional at Bedford School, which he held throughout the summer term. The work mainly consisted of working as a groundsman and bowling in the nets, which left him exhausted and unhappy.Arlott, p. 23. Living away from home from the first time and working in a public school environment left him feeling socially out of his depth and he did not enjoy his cricketing duties, although he later admitted that the cricketing strength of the school improved his own batting.McKinstry, pp. 40–41. In late August, Hobbs returned to Cambridge to play as a professional for the first time. For a fee of ten shillings, he appeared for a team from the nearby town of Royston against Hertfordshire Club and Ground. Appearing in his highest level of cricket to date, Hobbs scored 119. His success delighted his family and made him a local celebrity.McKinstry, pp. 41–42. Hobbs' father had helped to arrange his appearance in the match but was already seriously ill with pneumonia, and he died a week after his son scored his century, on 3 September 1902. His death left his wife and children facing great financial hardship.

Given the local reputation and respect for Hobbs senior, a local committee formed to raise money to support his family. To this end, a fundraising match was organised on Parker's Piece. Tom Hayward brought a team of well-known professionals, including several of his Surrey team-mates; the match was a resounding financial success and went a long way to easing any financial difficulties for the Hobbs family.McKinstry, pp. 42–43. Hobbs assumed his father's duties as groundsman at Jesus college in the winter of 1902–03. While working there, one of his colleagues and a friend of his father, F. C. Hutt, got in contact with Hayward to ask him to arrange a trial for Hobbs, with a view to joining Surrey. Consequently, in late 1902, Hayward and Bill Reeves, an Essex cricketer born in Cambridge, bowled at Hobbs on Parker's Piece and he impressed Hayward.McKinstry, p. 43. Hobbs and Hutt were not certain that anything would come of this, and Hutt wrote to Essex asking for a trial, but the county never replied.Arlott, p. 24.

Surrey cricketer

Hobbs was summoned to a trial at Surrey in April 1903; after batting in the nets, he was chosen to appear in two trial matches in which he made scores of 37 and 13. The Surrey secretary subsequently offered him a position on the ground staff at the Oval with a basic wage of 30 shillings per week during the season.McKinstry, pp. 44–45. Hayward also persuaded the secretary to include a £10 at the end of the 1903 season to further support the Hobbs family. Hobbs could not immediately play for Surrey owing to the qualification rules in place at the time for the County Championship. To appear for a county, a player had to be born in that county or to have lived there for two years.McKinstry, p. 46. To this end, Hobbs moved to London; he later wrote how much he enjoyed living in the city. He shared lodgings with a fellow Surrey youth player. Around this time he played football for local teams as a forward with some success. However, he struggled financially during the winter months despite the off-season pay provided by Surrey. In common with other Surrey cricketers at the time, Hobbs struggled to find employment outside of the cricket season.McKinstry, pp. 52–53.