Hobbs was left out of the team for the fourth Test; he had declined an invitation to tour Australia with the MCC in the coming winter, and the selectors wished to try players who might tour.
In the opening first-class match of the tour, Hobbs and Sutcliffe opened the innings with a partnership of 89 in difficult batting conditions; Hobbs scored 50,[REF] and scored consistently in the other warm-up games [REF].