Full name
John Anthony Hopkins
Born
June 16, 1953, Maesteg, Glamorgan, Wales
Current age 64 years 310 days
Major teams Eastern Province, Glamorgan, Wales
Batting style Right-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Relation
Brother - JD Hopkins
After a spell on the M.C.C. groundstaff, John made his Glamorgan debut in 1970 as a solid batsman and an
occasional wicket-keeper. Indeed, he created several records by becoming the youngest ever wicket-keeper in both the
Sunday League competition and for Glamorgan in any form of cricket when he kept against Northamptonshire at Sophia Gardens
aged 17 years and 68 days.
The regular presence of Eifion Jones behind the stumps meant that John concentrated on his batting skills,
and from 1977 he formed a reliable opening partnership with Alan Jones. In his first season as a regular opener, Hopkins
struck a career-best 230 against Worcestershire at New Road. At the time, it was the highest post-War Championship score
for Glamorgan. He was also an effective batsman in one day cricket, and in 1983 he hit 130 in the Sunday League fixture
against Somerset at Bath - this remained for 14 years the highest score in the competition by a Glamorgan batsman.
Hopkins was a brave and determined batsman against the new ball, and certainly lost for nothing when it came
to batting against the many overseas fast bowlers on the county circuit. His fluent strokeplay and ability to build long
innings drew attention from England selectors, and in 1977/78 he won a Whitbread scholarship to Australia. At the start of
the 1978 season he was selected to play for the M.C.C. against the Pakistani tourists, but this was the closest Hopkins ever
came to higher honours. (Contributed by Andrew Hignell - April 2000)