HOBBS, SIR JOHN BERRY

born Dec. 16, 1882, Cambridge, Eng. died Dec. 21, 1963, Hove, Sussex byname Jack Hobbs English athlete who was the world's greatest cricket batsman of his time. Hobbs began his first-class career for Surrey in 1905 and in his second game he scored the first of his 197 centuries (100 runs in a single innings). During 30 years as a professional he played for the all-England team in 61 international (Test) matches and scored a record 61,237 runs. Perhaps his greatest innings at the Oval (London cricket ground) was against Australia in 1926, when he made 100 to help recover the international trophy known as the Ashes. He retired in 1934, and in 1953 he became the first professional English cricketer to be knighted.