Introduction
The ‘Bodyline’ Test series between Australia and England in 1932-33 remains one of the most controversial moments in cricketing history. It all stemmed from the almost freakish genius of Don Bradman, who to this day remains far and away the best batsman the game has ever seen, but England captain Douglas Jardine was determined to see as little of him as possible.
WHEN the England cricket side toured Australia in 1932, the team’s Bombay-born captain Douglas Jardine thought only of stopping prolific Australian batsman Don Bradman. ‘The Don’ averaged around a hundred every time he batted, and held the record for the highest score in first class cricket at 452.
It was Jardine’s theory that Bradman was, in his contemptuous term, ‘yellow’, and he told his fastest bowlers, Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, to pitch the ball short so that Bradman, to protect his ribs and face, would hook or fend the ball off to fielders behind him on the leg side, and be out caught.
Jardine had tried out this ‘fast leg-theory’ in county cricket and was pleased with the results, some nasty injuries notwithstanding.* In the third Test at Adelaide, starting on January 13th 1933, he deployed what the hosts called ‘Bodyline’ once more, and early in Australia’s first innings a ball from Larwood narrowly missed Bill Woodfull’s head.*
Jardine had been brought up to regard physical courage as the measure of a man. In 1933, the West Indians used Bodyline in England to the great discomfiture of the home side’s Les Ames. Jardine wandered down the wicket and said, “You get yourself down this end, Les. I’ll take care of this bloody nonsense.” And he did, scoring 127, his only Test century. Whatever else Jardine was, he was neither a coward nor a hypocrite.
A cricket ball is 5½ oz (156g) of solid cork, string and leather, and a fast bowler such as Harold Larwood could easily deliver one at ninety miles an hour – Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar holds the current record at a fraction over 100mph (161.3kph), against England in 2003. Add to this natural grass wickets with cracks and variable bounce, mid-air swing, and raised stitching causing the ball to change direction when it pitches, and a batsman has a great deal to think about in approximately half a second.
See the scorecard for the Adelaide Test at CricInfo.
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