Clem Hill's Reminiscences

Chapter Ten Jones’ Tour of Australia, 1907-08 Australia regained the Ashes 4-1, but the main difference between the sides was the home team’s ability to recover in the second innings of matches. The first two Tests were tightly fought, with Australia winning the Sydney game by two wickets and England winning the second in Melbourne by one wicket. England lost her captain Jones for the series, through illness, although this was offset by George Gunn being co-opted into the touring party and becoming the leading batsman. Australia exhibited great depth of talent in both batting and bowling departments. 19 Robbed Jack Hobbs of £100: Hill knocked wicket down with throw Jack Hobbs missed a century in runs and in pounds sterling because Clem Hill, in a match against Surrey, threw a ball which knocked the wicket down. He had no intention of hitting the wicket, and in running Hobbs out, he did not know that he had deprived him of £100. Hill also recalls two exciting Test finishes in Australia in 1907-08, and the circumstances under which he and Roger Hartigan made their record eighth wicket partnership in Adelaide of 243 in a temperature well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I once robbed Jack Hobbs of about £100. It was in 1905, in his first match for Surrey against Australia. He hit a ball towards the square-leg boundary. He ran one and turned to run another. I returned the ball to the wicket about 80 yards away. To my surprise I knocked the wicket down, although, being side-on, I had only one stump to throw to and Hobbs was out of his crease. Jack scored 94. He states in his book that he was not out. 50 If he had got six more runs a collection would have been taken up, which, he has stated, would probably have brought him in 100 pounds. I expressed my regret for having deprived him of such a handsome reward. Hobbs can be bracketed with Grace as England’s greatest batsman. He represented England in international cricket until 1930, and would have been chosen for the present tour of the Englishmen if he had desired. 51 I held the record of having made the most runs in Test matches – 2,660. I was at Leeds in 1926, when he passed this figure. There was a group of Australians in the grandstand and Mrs Hobbs was sitting in front of us. 81 50 J.B. Hobbs, My Cricket Memories , William Heinemann, London, 1924. 51 The reference is to Jardine’s tour of 1932-33.