Name:

Hobbs, Robin Nicholas Stuart

Date of Birth:

08 May 1942

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Chippenham, Wiltshire

Date Died:

17 Mar 2024

Career:

Test: 1967 - 1971

Teams:

Essex (Regional)
England (Country)

1967 2nd Test: Graveney, Illingworth destroy India (Lords)

Robin Hobbs (11 October 1942 – 4 March 2024) was an English cricketer best known as a right-arm leg-break and googly bowler, and one of the last classical wrist-spinners to represent England in Test cricket.

He played 7 Test matches between 1967 and 1971, taking 12 wickets at an average of around 40. Although his international career was brief, he was highly regarded for his control, flight, and ability to extract turn even on unresponsive pitches during an era when England largely favoured finger spin.

At county level, Hobbs enjoyed a long and productive career, beginning with Essex County Cricket Club before later moving to Glamorgan County Cricket Club, where he also served as captain. In first-class cricket, he took 1,099 wickets at an average of 27.09 and scored 6,376 runs at 19.73, including a highest score of 105.

His ability to contribute with the bat made him a valuable lower-order player, highlighted by a rapid century for Essex against the touring Australians in 1975, famously scored in just 44 minutes.

In limited-overs cricket, Hobbs also made a strong impact, taking over 140 List A wickets while maintaining a consistently attacking style of leg-spin bowling.

Beyond the statistics, he was widely admired for his character, athletic fielding, and entertaining approach to the game. His legacy remains that of one of England’s most skilful post-war leg-spinners, and a key figure in sustaining wrist-spin in English domestic cricket during a predominantly seam-friendly era.