Bodyline: A classic bit of cricketing folklore

‘Bodyline’ as it infamously came to be known, was a tactic devised by the England team, led by captain Douglas Jardine, for their 1932-33 Ashes tour of Australia.



Bodyline was centered around England's incredibly fast and hostile seam bowlers, particularly the great Harold Larwood, who were instructed to bowl short pitched deliveries that would rise towards the ribs and face of the batsman on the awkward line of leg stump, with the aim of prompting leg-side fending-off shots that would be caught by the waiting quadrant of fielders set behind square leg.

There was of course one sole reason behind Jardine's adoption of what would perhaps become the single most controversial tactic in the history of the sport: Don Bradman. Bodyline was no ordinary tactic, but then neither was 'The Don' an ordinary batsman. Averaging well in excess of 100, a stat at least double that of his nearest rivals, something entirely different was needed if England were to win Down Under.

It worked. England won the series, and managed the extraordinary feat of making Bradman seem human once more; his series average of 56.57 a comparative failure next to his final career average of 99.94.

However, The Bodyline method copped a lot of criticism from many associated with the sport, deemed to be intimidatory, physically threatening and against the spirit of the game. Others thought it was represented great pragmatism. Widespread uproar within the cricketing world led to numerous law changes, granting umpires the power to penalise any bowler aiming at the batsman with the intent to injure in 1935, before introducing a further law that only allowed for two fielders behind square on the leg-side at the time of the bowlers delivery some 25 years later. Bodyline would never be used to the same effect again.

A thought for 606v2 readers though as we fast forward to the technology led cricketing world of today: would the mighty Don have struggled so much had he been kitted out with say the latest Masuri helmet with steel grill, or the latest Kookaburra Blade arm guards? At Barrington Sports, we strongly suspect today’s equipment would have enabled The Don to get in line and consign Bodyline to a mere footnote in cricketing history. And to think what that would have done to his final career batting average……..!

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