J. B. Hobbs, the Surrey professional cricketer, playing against Somerset
this week, made his 126th and 127th " centuries " in first-class cricket, thus beating the record established by Dr. W. G. Grace. There has been great excitement in the expectation of this feat. Although it was perhaps unduly fostered by the daily papers it has been healthy excitement over a sport unspoilt by gambling. Hobbs, too, is a fine example among professional cricketers who, with golf professionals, are by far the best group of men who live by playing games. He is the son of a Cambridge professional and colleague of Tom Hayward. His fine captaincy of the Players this year against the Gentlemen showed him in the best possible light. He is not too old to go on increasing his record for several seasons. His feat is the result of genuine progress in the game and " the Doctor " is not disgraced, for he never had the perfect wickets of to-day to play upon. He will remain a mighty hero of the game. We are reminded of a speech made by the late Master of Trinity at a dinner given to the most graceful player of all, Ranjitsinjhi. Dr. Butler quoted the encouragement given by Napoleon to his Egyptian army under the shadow of the Pyramids :—" Twenty centuries look down upon you," and he added, " Our guest looks down on twenty centuries." So may Dr. Grace and Hobbs.
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