When Jack Hobbs made his first-class debut in April 1905, it was the start of one of the greatest as well as one of the longest careers. On his retirement in 1935, Wisden invited him to look back on 30 years in the game.
This is an edited version of an article that appeared in the 1935 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. See more from the Almanack archive.
Thirty years in cricket
The era to which my name has been given covers first-class cricket from 1903 to 1933. The War came to rob all of us of four solid years of the game, and although I played a little last summer I think that I really finished in 1933 when at 50 years of age after, roughly, 30 seasons at the Oval, I was beginning to feel that the strain of the game day after day was getting just a little too much for me.
The vast host of cricket followers throughout the world know in their own minds that there are only two really top-class cricketing countries – England and Australia. Far be from me any idea of throwing cold water on those countries who aspire to the highest status in cricket but when we think that of the numerous teams which have come from South Africa not one has ever won a Test Match in England it makes me wonder why they are put on the same plane as Australia in being allotted five Tests. I am not forgetting that they, as well as the West Indies, have beaten England in their own countries. I should not be averse to them having three and I would give the others I have mentioned one each. The honour of wearing the England cap with the three silver lions on it has, I am afraid, become rather cheap since its inception. These caps should have been awarded only to cricketers who have appeared in England against Australia.
