Jack Hobbs Known as The Master © Copyright Hulton Getty     To play the video you will need RealPlayer get it here.   Click here to play the video of Hobbs   Almanack feature   Wisden Overview John Berry Hobbs was born in Cambridge on December 16, 1882, the eldest of 12 children. His father was on the groundstaff at nearby Fenner's and later became groundsman at Jesus College, where Jack spent the school holidays laying the foundations of his skill. Ranjitsinhji counted among his early idols, but his true boyhood hero was the Surrey allrounder Tom Hayward, who was instrumental in getting the young Hobbs a trial at The Oval. From the moment he scored a century in his first Championship match against Essex in 1905, Hobbs set about building the reputation of the "Master" cricketer. Comparisons with WG Grace were inevitable, and like WG, he would go on to amass a century of centuries, 197 of them in fact, more than any other batsman in history. In 1907-08 Hobbs was chosen for his first overseas tour, to Australia, but it was two years later, on the matting wickets then used in South Africa, that he really made his mark. Though the South Africans triumphed three Tests to two, Hobbs averaged 67.37, double that of the next-best batsman. Fact pack Full name John Berry Hobbs Batting right-hand bat top-order Bowling right-arm medium Allround status batsman who occasionally bowled Teams Surrey 1905 to 1934. England 1907-08 to 1930 Born Cambridge, December 16, 1882 Died Hove, Sussex, December 21, 1963 aged 81 Nickname The Master   Career figures TEST BATTING m inns no runs av hs 100/50 ct 61 102 7 5410 56.94 211 15/28 17   TEST BOWLING balls m runs w av sr econ 376 15 165 1 165 376 2.63

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