Robin Nicholas Stuart Hobbs (8 May 1942 – 17 March 2024) was an English cricketer who played in seven Tests for England from 1967 to 1971.[1] He played first-class cricket for both Essex and Glamorgan.[1]

Robin Hobbs
Personal information
Full name
Robin Nicholas Stuart Hobbs
Born(1942-05-08)8 May 1942
Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
Died17 March 2024(2024-03-17) (aged 81)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingLegbreak
International information
National side
Test debut8 June 1967 v India
Last Test8 July 1971 v Pakistan
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class
Matches 7 440
Runs scored 34 4,942
Batting average 6.79 12.11
100s/50s 0/0 2/2
Top score 15* 100
Balls bowled 1,291 62,395
Wickets 12 1,099
Bowling average 40.08 27.09
5 wickets in innings 0 50
10 wickets in match 0 8
Best bowling 3/25 8/63
Catches/stumpings 8/– 295/–
Source: CricInfo, 7 November 2022

Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, remarked, "Hobbs was the last specialist leg-spinner to play for England before Ian Salisbury revived the art in 1992. A good spinner of the ball although he lacked the googly, an inventive batsman and great character, he was an immensely popular cricketer".[1]

Life and career

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Leg spinners have proved a rarity in post-war English cricket, thanks in part to the rise of one day cricket, and Hobbs was the last specialist to play for England before the emergence of Ian Salisbury.

Hobbs was born in Chippenham, Wiltshire but after moving to Scotland for a period during the war he grew up in Dagenham in East London. A keen ornithologist, Robin collected tropical birds in an aviary that he built behind his father's shop. This notably included a toucan which he named Terry. He made his debut for Essex in 1961 and for England in 1967, but his well flighted leg breaks failed to discomfort Indian and Pakistani batsmen raised on spin. His batting was unregarded, making his 44-minute century against the touring Australians in 1975, all the more remarkable.[2]

After fourteen years with Essex, Hobbs retired to minor county cricket with Suffolk, before re-emerging four years later after being invited to captain Glamorgan. He was Glamorgan captain in 1979 (a year in which the county didn't win a first class match) then played two more seasons under the captaincy of Malcolm Nash. He returned to Suffolk for the 1982 season, then retired.

Hobbs was the last English leg spin bowler to take 1,000 first-class wickets in his career. In all he took 1,099 scalps, with a best of 8 for 63 at an average of 27.09. An economy rate of 2.86 is testament to his accuracy, while a strike rate of 56.7 ranks with any spinner of his generation.

Hobbs died from complications following bowel surgery on 17 March 2024, at the age of 81.[3][4][5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. p. 90. ISBN 1-869833-21-X.
  2. ^ "Cricinfo: Fastest to 50,100,200"
  3. ^ "Death announcement". Essex CCC on X. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Robin Hobbs: England and Essex bowler dies aged 81". BBC News. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Robin Hobbs obituary". The Times. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.

Further reading

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Rob Kelly, Hobbsy: A Life in Cricket, Von Krumm Publishing, 2018

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