Hobbsy

In the late Sixties and early Seventies the Essex circus, led by Brian "Tonker" Taylor and featuring three spinners, was, for cricket fans, as bewildering and beguiling as its contemporaries Sergeant Pepper and Monty Python.

At the heart of it all, both on and off the field was Robin Hobbs.

Hobbs played cricket in four continents, took over 1000 first-class wickets, scored a 44-minute century against Australia and generally brought far more into the game than he took out of it. Dodging riots in Pakistan, driving Geoff Boycott to distraction or clubbing with Princess Margaret in the West Indies - he was the perfect tourist, always will­ing to do what was necessary with a smile and a joke.

Through extensive conversations with the man himself and many of his fellow players of the time, Hobbsy: A Life in Cricket is an evocation of a time gone by where the one-day game was a bright young thing and the County Championship was still king.

There are tales aplenty from seasons in Essex, Suffolk, Glamorgan and the brief foray into the international arena where Hobbs had the unenviable distinction of playing one Test match without ever getting onto the field.

La sfarsitul anilor saizeci si inceputul anilor saptezeci, circul din Essex, condus de Brian "Tonker" Taylor si cu trei filatori, a fost, pentru fanii de cricket, la fel de nedumeritor si inselator ca si contemporanii sai sergentul Pepper si Monty Python. pe teren si in afara lui era Robin Hobbs. Hobbs a jucat cricket pe patru continente, a preluat 1000 de ghiseuri de prima clasa, a marcat un secol de 44 de minute impotriva Australiei si, in general, a adus mult mai mult in joc decat a scos din el.