About John Hodges (cricketer)
John Robart Hodges (11 August 1855 – 17 January 1933) was an Australian cricketer who played in the first two Test matches in 1877. == Cricket career == Hodges was born in Knightsbridge, London, on 11 August 1855 and is believed to have died on 17 January 1933 in Melbourne, Victoria. The exact details of his death remain unconfirmed but this date is generally accepted by the sport's historians. He is one of the least-known Australian players, so meteoric and short was his career. He had the unusual distinction of playing in a Test match (and not just any Test match, the first ever given such status) before playing for his colony. Therefore, the historic international, played at Melbourne in 1877 between Australia and England, was Hodges' first-class debut. A left-handed batsman and fast-medium, round-arm bowler, Hodges started playing cricket for the Capulets club in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. Following some good performances in club cricket, he soon appeared for the Richmond Cricket Club (1876–77), and later played for Victoria. His bowling had both pace and movement and occasionally he could swing the ball sharply. But it also lacked consistency and all the good work he showed previously rarely came to the fore in his two representative matches.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.