Hobbs Plays Last Game For England

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 88, 14 April 1945, Page 5 (Supplement)

Hobbs Plays Last Game For England

TJQW Jack Hobbs played his last cricket game for England is dramatically described by the famous Australian wicketkeeper, W. A. Oldfield, in a recent article in the Melbourne Globe.

This was at Kennington Oval in the decisive fifth Test of the 1931 series, when England began their second innings 200 runs behind.

When Hobbs, with his partner, Sutcliffe, was making his way to the wickets to open for England, the scene was a memorable one. Once at the crease (writes Oldfield) ITobbs -stood there, his hand half-way to his All-England cap, which he seemed intent on doffing in acknowledgment of the tribute we Australians were paying him. He stood there as if shocked — stunned by the realisation, as if for the first time, that this was to be his last Test against Australia. "Ijiimps in Our Throats" Led by Bill Woodfull, we Australians, gathered around Hobbs cheering, but they were throaty cheers, the ardour of our sincerity behind every cheer, yet lumps in our throats at the finality of the scene.

The great Hobbs was accompany-, ing his renowned partner, Sutcliffe, for the last time. His retirement had been announced. That moment stands out in the long aisle of my Test match memories—big moments, some hushed with their tenseness, some exhilarating and thrilling. This occasion possessed both the tense expectancy of something spontaneous, unrehearsed, and the thrill of a big moment. Yet, withal there was a note of sadness never to be forgotten. Many times we Australian, and others'before us, had seen the dapper Hobbs, flannelled, capped and padded to perfection,,swing through the gate with Sutcliffe, and before Sutcliffe was Rhodes. Instinctively everyone would be alert. I, for one, would pull my gloves on a little more determinedly. This was the great Hobbs coming in. There could be no slip—no mistake. , And when he was out, and he turned away from the wicket, for the moment beaten, how we would rejoice, feeling that a great deal had already been accomplished towards winning the match.

But this was different. Somehow, for this once, we all wanted to see Jack make runs, and so set the seal to the scroll of his life's great cricket story. Of course, Hobbs, as he stood there, our cheers joined by the cheers of the great crowd assembled, was much affected. No man could have been otherwise.

Yet as he took block and faced up he was once again England s greatest opening batsman, bent on laying still another foundation to a Test score. He rose above personal considerations. , „ ~ England needed 290, and Hobbs and Sutcliffe, unruffled as usual, had come in to start the way to getting the runs. It was 5.45, a bad time to open an innings, especially one that wanted so many runs to save an innings defeat. Half an hour later poor light stopped play for the day. When he was 9 Hobbs played Fairfax on to his wicket. It was a sad end to a fighting career. Yet even in this wretched light he had seen Sutcliffe missed in the slips when the score was only 8. When he was unfortunate enough to play-on the score was 24—24 all hard-earned runs—and being added to slowly with all the canny ability of the old firm.

I believe that Hobbs would have made runs that innings but for the mishap. In the first innings he had batted with wonderful perception, shepherding the younger Sutcliffe towards a much-prized century and what finally became an outstanding hand of 161. No Greater Trial England, batting first, set us 405. Hobbs and Sutcliffe opened with 68, and Hobbs had scored 47 when caught at short-leg. Fortunately for us, the wicket, a typical Oval pitch—lasted so well that we replied with 695, of which Bradman made 232. England fell in their second venture for 251. But even in that innings' defeat Hobbs remained the great Hobbs. His great career should be all too fresh in the minds of readers to need elaboration here. This I will say. No greater trial was ever set Hobbs than to shape up to Tim Wall in a failing light, the final Test of an English series in the balance, and after such emotional upsets as he must have felt as the Australians and the crowd cheered him that day.