Bodyline

Bodyline, also known as Fast Leg Theory, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman. Bodyline bowlers deliberately aimed the cricket ball at the bodies of batsmen, in the hope of creating legside deflections which could be caught by one of several fielders located in the quadrant of the field behind square leg.

Bodyline 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. This gave the English crowds their first chance to see what all the fuss was about. Farnes, the Cambridge University fast bowler also bowled it in the university match, hitting a few Oxford batsmen.

Related Topics:
1933 - Nottinghamshire - Cambridge University - Oxford

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What's often forgotten, however, is that Jardine himself had to face bodyline bowling in a Test match. 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. He had a couple of fast bowlers, Manny Martindale and Learie Constantine. Facing bodyline tactics for the first time, England first suffered, falling to 134 for 4, with Wally Hammond being hit on the chin, though he recovered to continue his innings. Then Jardine himself faced Martindale and Constantine. Jardine never flinched. He played right back to the bouncers, standing on tiptoe, and, no doubt partly because he wasn't a hooker (refer the hook shot), played them with a dead bat. Whilst the Old Trafford pitch was not as suited to bodyline as the hard Australian wickets, Martindale did take 5 for 73, but Constantine only took 1 for 55. Jardine himself made 127.

Related Topics:
West Indian cricket team - 1933 - Old Trafford - Jackie Grant - Manny Martindale - Learie Constantine - Wally Hammond - Hook shot

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the second West Indian innings, Clark bowled bodyline back to the West Indians, taking 2 for 64. The match in the end was drawn; it was also the highest-profile game in which bodyline was bowled in England.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~