Two English left-arm bowlers, George Hirst in 1903–04 and Frank Foster in 1911–12, bowled leg theory to packed leg side fields in Test matches in Australia; Warwick Armstrong also used it regularly for Australia.
Two English left-arm bowlers, George Hirst in 1903–04 and Frank Foster in 1911–12, bowled leg theory to packed leg side fields in Test matches in Australia; Warwick Armstrong also used it regularly for Australia.
Jardine also visited Frank Foster to discuss his field-placing in Australia in 1911–12. Larwood and Voce practised the plan over the remainder of the 1932 season with varying but increasing success and several injuries to batsmen.
Jardine felt that Bradman was nervous about standing his ground against intimidatory bowling, citing instances in 1930 when he shuffled about, contrary to orthodox batting technique. ===Douglas Jardine=== Jardine's first experience against Australia came when he scored an unbeaten 96 to secure a draw against the 1921 Australian touring side for Oxford University.
In 1925, Australian Jack Scott first bowled a form of what would later have been called bodyline in a state match for New South Wales; his captain Herbie Collins disliked it and would not let him use it again.
Other Australian captains were less particular, including Vic Richardson, who asked the South Australian bowler Lance Gun to use it in 1925, and later let Scott use it when he moved to South Australia.
In 1927, in a Test trial match, "Nobby" Clark bowled short to a leg-trap (a cluster of fielders placed close on the leg side).
Scott repeated the tactics against the MCC in 1928–29.
In 1928–29, Harry Alexander bowled fast leg theory at an England team, and Harold Larwood briefly used a similar tactic on that same tour in two Test matches.
Jardine's attitude towards Australia hardened after he toured the country in 1928–29.
Freddie Calthorpe, the England captain, criticised Learie Constantine's use of short-pitched bowling to a leg side field in a Test match in 1930; one such ball struck Andy Sandham, but Constantine only reverted to more conventional tactics after a complaint from the England team. ===Donald Bradman=== The Australian cricket team toured England in 1930.
In the final Test of the 1930 Ashes series, while he was batting, the pitch became briefly difficult following rain.
Jardine felt that Bradman was nervous about standing his ground against intimidatory bowling, citing instances in 1930 when he shuffled about, contrary to orthodox batting technique. ===Douglas Jardine=== Jardine's first experience against Australia came when he scored an unbeaten 96 to secure a draw against the 1921 Australian touring side for Oxford University.
On one occasion, he spat towards the crowd while fielding on the boundary as he changed position for the final time. Jardine was appointed captain of England for the 1931 season, replacing Percy Chapman who had led the team in 1930.
On one occasion, he spat towards the crowd while fielding on the boundary as he changed position for the final time. Jardine was appointed captain of England for the 1931 season, replacing Percy Chapman who had led the team in 1930.
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, created to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman.
However, over time, several of the Laws of Cricket were changed to render the bodyline tactic less effective. ==Definition and origin of the term== Bodyline is a tactic devised for and primarily used in the Ashes series between England and Australia in 1932–33.
Root later defended the use of leg theory—and bodyline—observing that when bowlers bowled outside off stump, the batsmen always had the option to let the ball pass them without playing a shot, so they could scarcely complain. Some fast bowlers experimented with leg theory prior to 1932, sometimes accompanying the tactic with short-pitched bowling.
By the time of the next Ashes series of 1932–33, Bradman's average hovered around 100, approximately twice that of all other world-class batsmen.
The English cricket authorities felt that specific tactics would be required to curtail Bradman from being even more successful on his own Australian pitches; some believed that Bradman was at his most vulnerable against leg-spin bowling as Walter Robins and Ian Peebles had supposedly caused him problems; consequently two leg-spinners were included in the English touring party of 1932–33. Gradually, the idea developed that Bradman was possibly vulnerable to pace bowling.
When Douglas Jardine later saw film footage of the Oval incident and noticed Bradman's discomfort, according to his daughter he shouted, "I've got it! He's yellow!" The theory of Bradman's vulnerability developed further when Fender received correspondence from Australia in 1932, describing how Australian batsmen were increasingly moving across the stumps towards the off side to play the ball on the on side.
Fender showed these letters to his Surrey team-mate Jardine when it became clear that Jardine was to captain the English team in Australia during the 1932–33 tour, and he also discussed Bradman's discomfort at the Oval.
Bradman had also appeared uncomfortable against the pace of Sandy Bell in his innings of 299 not out at the Adelaide Oval in South Africa's tour of Australia earlier in 1932, when the desperate bowler decided to bowl short to him, and fellow South African Herbie Taylor, according to Jack Fingleton, may have mentioned this to English cricketers in 1932.
The following season, he led England again and was appointed to lead the team to tour Australia for the 1932–33 Ashes series.
Jardine also visited Frank Foster to discuss his field-placing in Australia in 1911–12. Larwood and Voce practised the plan over the remainder of the 1932 season with varying but increasing success and several injuries to batsmen.
Bill Bowes also used short-pitched bowling, notably against Jack Hobbs. ==Ashes series of 1932–33== ===Early development on tour=== The England team which toured Australia in 1932–33 contained four fast bowlers and a few medium pacers; such a heavy concentration on pace was unusual at the time, and drew comment from the Australian press and players, including Bradman.
However, there were occasions when the Australians felt that their hosts had crossed the mark with tactics resembling bodyline. In a match between the Australians and Nottinghamshire, Voce, one of the bodyline practitioners of 1932–33, employed the strategy with the wicket-keeper standing to the leg side and took 8/66.
Australia had previously and privately complained that some pacemen had strayed past the agreement in the Tests. ==Changes to the laws of cricket== As a direct consequence of the 1932–33 tour, the MCC introduced a new rule to the laws of cricket for the 1935 English cricket season.
Generally, they poked fun at the English. In 1984, Australia's Network Ten produced a television mini-series titled Bodyline, dramatising the events of the 1932–33 English tour of Australia.
Leaks to the press were practically unknown in 1933.
England built a lead of 19 but their tactics in Australia's second innings were disrupted when Larwood left the field with an injured foot; Hedley Verity, a spinner, claimed five wickets to bowl Australia out; England won by eight wickets and won the series by four Tests to one. ==In England== Bodyline continued to be bowled occasionally in the 1933 English season—most notably by Nottinghamshire, who had Carr, Voce and Larwood in their team.
The West Indian cricket team toured England in 1933, and, in the second Test at Old Trafford, Jackie Grant, their captain, decided to try bodyline.
Nevertheless, the tactic of intimidating the batsman is still used to an extent that would have been shocking in 1933, although it is less dangerous now because today's players wear helmets and generally far more protective gear.
Retrieved 30 November 2006. ==External links== Footage of the 1933 Ashes test where bodyline bowling is used on Don Bradman The Bodyline Series Original reports from The Times Bodyline Series – State Library of NSW 1932 in Australian cricket 1932 in English cricket 1933 in Australian cricket 1933 in English cricket Bowling (cricket) Cricket captaincy and tactics Cricket controversies Don Bradman Banned sports tactics
Wisden also said that "most of those watching it for the first time must have come to the conclusion that, while strictly within the law, it was not nice." In 1934, Bill Woodfull led Australia back to England on a tour that had been under a cloud after the tempestuous cricket diplomacy of the previous bodyline series.
Jardine had retired from International cricket in early 1934 after captaining a fraught tour of India and under England's new captain, Bob Wyatt, agreements were put in place so that bodyline would not be used.
In 1934–35 a statue of Prince Albert in Sydney was vandalised, with an ear being knocked off and the word "BODYLINE" painted on it.
Australia had previously and privately complained that some pacemen had strayed past the agreement in the Tests. ==Changes to the laws of cricket== As a direct consequence of the 1932–33 tour, the MCC introduced a new rule to the laws of cricket for the 1935 English cricket season.
The immediate effect of the law change which banned bodyline in 1935 was to make commentators and spectators sensitive to the use of short-pitched bowling; bouncers became exceedingly rare and bowlers who delivered them were practically ostracised.
This attitude ended after the Second World War, and among the first teams to make extensive use of short-pitched bowling was the Australian team captained by Bradman between 1946 and 1948.
This attitude ended after the Second World War, and among the first teams to make extensive use of short-pitched bowling was the Australian team captained by Bradman between 1946 and 1948.
Larwood, having emigrated to Australia in 1950, was largely welcomed with open arms, although received several threatening and obscene phone calls after the series aired.
In 1957, the laws were altered to prevent more than two fielders standing behind square on the leg side; the intention was to prevent negative bowling tactics whereby off spinners and slow inswing bowlers aimed at the leg stump of batsmen with fielders concentrated on the leg side.
First published London, 1975.
The West Indies teams of the 1980s, who regularly fielded a bowling attack comprising some of the best fast bowlers in cricket history, were perhaps the most feared exponents. ==Reaction== The English players and management were consistent in referring to their tactic as fast leg theory considering it to be a variant of the established and unobjectionable leg theory tactic.
Generally, they poked fun at the English. In 1984, Australia's Network Ten produced a television mini-series titled Bodyline, dramatising the events of the 1932–33 English tour of Australia.
In a poll of cricket journalists, commentators, and players in 2004, the bodyline tour was ranked the most important event in cricket history. ==Notes and references== ===Notes=== ===References=== ==References== (Book Club edition.
Retrieved 30 November 2006. ==External links== Footage of the 1933 Ashes test where bodyline bowling is used on Don Bradman The Bodyline Series Original reports from The Times Bodyline Series – State Library of NSW 1932 in Australian cricket 1932 in English cricket 1933 in Australian cricket 1933 in English cricket Bowling (cricket) Cricket captaincy and tactics Cricket controversies Don Bradman Banned sports tactics
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