Jack Hobbs

England batsman known as 'The Master', the leading run-scorer and century-maker in first-class cricket history with 61,760 runs and 199 centuries.

Born on 16 December 1882 in Cambridge, the eldest of twelve children of a groundsman at Fenner's cricket ground, Jack Hobbs made his first-class debut for Surrey in 1905, scoring 88 in his first match against a Gentlemen of England side captained by the legendary W.G. Grace, who reportedly remarked, 'He's goin' to be a good'un.' Hobbs went on to become the most prolific batsman in the history of first-class cricket. In 1925, at age 42, he surpassed Grace's long-standing record of 126 career centuries, and by the end of that remarkable season had scored a then-record 3,024 runs including 16 centuries at an average of 70.32. He was the first player to reach 100 first-class centuries in his lifetime and eventually finished with 197 or 199 centuries, depending on the source, the exact tally a matter of enduring statistical debate. Over 61 Test matches for England between 1908 and 1930, Hobbs scored 5,410 runs at an average of 56.94, and remains, at age 46, the oldest man to score a Test century, doing so against Australia at Melbourne in 1929. Renowned for his elegant driving and cutting, and excellent fielding at cover point, he formed a celebrated opening partnership with Herbert Sutcliffe for England. Hobbs became the first professional cricketer to be knighted, in 1953, and was named one of Wisden's five 'Cricketers of the Century' in 2000, the only Englishman on that list alongside Bradman, Sobers, Warne and Richards. He died on 21 December 1963 at age 81.

Elegant, technically complete batsman equally strong on and off the front foot

Widely regarded as one of the four greatest batsmen in cricket history