Page "Jack Hobbs" Paragraph 41

By the middle of the 1920s, cricket in England was extremely popular and the players famous.

Hobbs was the biggest attraction and a combination of his cricket earnings ( estimated to be around £ 780 each year ), the income from his business, product endorsement and ghostwritten books and articles made him relatively wealthy.

According to McKinstry, his annual earnings probably reached £ 1, 500 a year by 1925, more than a family doctor at the time.

In contrast to previous seasons following an Australian tour, Hobbs was extremely successful in 1925.

Early in the season, a string of centuries, including a run of four in consecutive innings, made him the first batman to reach 1, 000 runs that season and brought him close to Grace's record of 126 first-class hundreds.

He scored the 125th century of his career against Kent on 20 July, but amid intense press and public interest, Hobbs lost form through a combination of anxiety and fatigue.

He continued to score well, but could not reach three figures in an innings — after one innings of 54, a newspaper headline proclaimed that " Hobbs Fails Again ".

Finally, against Somerset on 15 August, Hobbs reached the landmark, scoring 101.

Having scored 91 not out on the first day, Hobbs betrayed great nervousness in scoring the required nine runs the next day.

The achievement was widely celebrated and Hobbs received many congratulatory telegrams.

Then on the final day of the match, Hobbs scored another century to become the outright record holder.

Over the following weeks, Hobbs was praised and feted throughout the country.

He ended his season with 266 in a Gentlemen v Players match at the Scarborough Festival, his highest to date and the best score made in the Gentlemen v Players series, and 104 for the Rest of England against Yorkshire, the County Champions.

In total, he scored 16 centuries and totalled 3, 024 runs at an average of 70. 32, placing him on top of the national averages for the first time in his career.