Famous Cricketers No 1 - Jack Hobbs

1905 Hobbs began his first-class career brilliantly, scoring 289 in his first two matches, but like many another young cricketer, he lost form as the sheer hard work of continuous cricket told on him, and Surrey dropped him in the order. Wisden 1906 said that “he may fairly be regarded as the best professional batsman Surrey have brought forward in recent years” but added that “he should endeavour to brighten up his fielding”. He did. Colin Blythe dismissed him four times in four innings, for 48 runs, all told. In four innings against Yorkshire, Hobbs scored only seven runs. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 1.§ Surrey v Gentlemen of England, Kennington Oval, April 24, 25, 26 (Match drawn) c A.F.M.Townsend b E.A.Beldam 18 86† 115 c V.F.S.Crawford b W.Brearley 88 282† 164-7 2.§ Surrey v Essex, Kennington Oval, May 4, 5, 6 (Surrey won by 185 runs) c H.I.Young b B.Tremlin 28 138 123 c W.Reeves b C.P.McGahey 155 383† 213 1 3. Surrey v Hampshire, Kennington Oval, May 8, 9, 10 (Surrey won by 30 runs) lbw b H.W.Persse 6 192 233 c J.Stone b H.Baldwin 43 245 174 1 4. Surrey v Australians, Kennington Oval, May 11, 12, 13 (Match drawn) run out 94 225† - - - - 292 c W.W.Armstrong b A.Cotter 1 286 2 0 13 1 R.A.Duff b 199-6 5. Surrey v Sussex, Kennington Oval, May 18, 19 (Surrey won by an innings and 184 runs) b J.Vine 6 420 91 1 145 6. Surrey v Warwickshire, Kennington Oval, May 22, 23, 24 (Match drawn) c and b S.Hargreave 40 479 - - - - 235 1 10 2 29 0 585 7. Surrey v Hampshire, Aldershot, May 25, 26, 27 (Surrey won by seven wickets) c W.C.Hedley b H.W.Persse 2 482 227 c J.Stone b C.B.Llewellyn 32 73-3† 325 8. Surrey v Cambridge University, Fenner’s, May 29, 30, 31 (Match drawn) c M.W.Payne b G.G.Napier 0 321 365 b P.R.May 9 158-9 121 9.§ Surrey v Essex, Leyton, June 1, 2, 3 (Surrey won by five wickets) c A.E.Russell b W.Reeves 102 392 - - - - 160 1 b B.Tremlin 10 212-5 3 0 20 1 F.H.Gillingham c sub 443 10. Surrey v Gloucestershire, Kennington Oval, June 8, (9), 10 (Match drawn) c G.L.Jessop b E.G.Dennett 12 126 - - - - 122 2 2 0 12 0 144 11. Surrey v Nottinghamshire, Trent Bridge, June 12, 13, 14 (Nottinghamshire won by 228 runs) c J.Hardstaff b T.G.Wass 17 195 2 0 2 0 342 1 lbw b A.W.Hallam 24 104 - - - - 185-6d 1 12. Surrey v Leicestershire, Leicester, June (15), 16, 17 (Match drawn) c V.F.S.Crawford b R.T.Crawford 8 174 187 1 st J.P.Whiteside b W.W.Odell 16 314-6 13. Surrey v Middlesex, Lord’s, June 19, 20, 21 (Middlesex won by eight wickets) b A.E.Trott 6 143 109 hit wkt b A.E.Trott 17 195 230-2 14. Surrey v Derbyshire, Kennington Oval, June 22, 23, 24 (Surrey won by 235 runs) b W.Bestwick 26 351 141 c C.A.Ollivierre b A.Warren 13 203 178 15. Surrey v Cambridge University, Kennington Oval, June 29, (30), July 1 (Match drawn) c E.W.Mann b G.G.Napier 5 146 98 9