Princess Diana
Bodyline - Cricket - the Aussies still Whinge
Bodyline
It's just not Australian
England is renowned as a country that prides itself on its fair play hence the 'below the belt' strategy known as "Bodyline" was somewhat out of character for the English. Similarly, Australians are renowned for their toughness, innovation and intolerance of whingeing. Consequently, their moaning reaction to the strategy was also somewhat out of character for Australians.
This reversal of cultural behaviour between the two countries may be attributed to the embarrassment the English felt that they could be beaten by people decedent from Convicts and the desire by Australians to prove that they were honourable people despite their Convict heritage.
Out of Character for the English
By the thirties, Australia had proved themselves to be superior to England on the cricket field. Proud Englishmen were " seriously concerned the sport of gentlemen was being dominated by the convicts from the Antipodes and the thinking of the day became, England must win at all costs."
Douglas Jardine's "Bodyline" was such a win at all costs strategy. It involved placing at least five players close in to the batsmen and the bowler continually bowling a barrage of short pitched balls. The short pitched balls would quickly rare up from the pitch placing the batsmen in danger of injury. To counter these rising deliveries, the batsmen would be forced to adopt defensive batting strokes, which would regularly result in catches to the close in fieldsmen. The spearhead of the attack was Harold Larwood.
Donald Bradman, being an exceptionally gifted and attacking batsmen, was affected by these close in fielders. For the series, he only averaged only 56.57 which compared unfavourably with his shield average of 150 for the same period.
_
Un-Australian reaction to the strategy.
The Bodyline tactic infuriated the Australian public and heated diplomatic notes were sent by the Australian Government. To gain high moral ground, the Australian team refused to use the tactic on the English. To the present day, Australians refuse to let the English forget the unsportsmanlike conduct.
This negative reaction by Australians is peculiar considering that the tactic was within the rules and the bruises suffered by the cricketers was nothing compared to the serious injuries suffered by Football and Rugby League players of the same era. Furthermore, in the mid 80's, the West Indies employed four past bowlers who ruthlessly aimed at the body with the sole intent of inflicting pain. Yet rather than get up in arms like they did with the English, the Australian public respected the Windies and the team remains extremely popular in Australia today.
Furthermore, it was an Australian cricket captain who ordered his bowler to deliver an "underarm bowl" to deny New Zealand a chance of hitting a six off the last ball to win a game. Arguably, this was a far worse example of poor sportsmanship yet many Australians just laugh when they hear Kiwis complain.
This hypocritical behaviour of Australians may be explained as a reaction to the English mocking Australia's Convict heritage. Douglas Jardine, the English captain, once contemptuously referred to Australians as the "lower classes that got away" and during the series, he instructed his bowlers to "Knock that bloody Convicts head off." By refusing to reciprocate when it was their turn to bowl, the Australians took the high moral ground on sportsmanship. In so doing, it allowed them to send a message that it was really the English who were the unsavoury 'Convicts'.
Another possibility is that Australians have long looked for an excuse that would allow them to feel distinct from England. Like Breaker Morant in the Bore War and Gallipolli in World War 1, Bodyline allowed those Australians who wanted to see Australia and England as distinct countries, to find fault in English behaviour.
It is quite interesting to note that Harold Larwood was banned from playing for England as he refused to apologise for the way he bowled. He subsequently immigrated to Australia and rather than find hostility, he was surprised that Australians greeted him with open arms. As one commentator explained:
"Most Aussies in the 1950s when Larwood joined their nation were descended from convicts - often men sentenced for political offences rather than crimes - or the soldiers and warders sent out to run the prison system and they respected any man who stood up to the master class. "
Perhaps then, Australians were angry about bodyline not because they thought it was an evil ploy, rather, it was a good excuse to find fault in the pompous English establishment.
Bodyline
It's just not Australian
England is renowned as a country that prides itself on its fair play hence the 'below the belt' strategy known as "Bodyline" was somewhat out of character for the English. Similarly, Australians are renowned for their toughness, innovation and intolerance of whingeing. Consequently, their moaning reaction to the strategy was also somewhat out of character for Australians.
This reversal of cultural behaviour between the two countries may be attributed to the embarrassment the English felt that they could be beaten by people decedent from Convicts and the desire by Australians to prove that they were honourable people despite their Convict heritage.
Out of Character for the English
By the thirties, Australia had proved themselves to be superior to England on the cricket field. Proud Englishmen were " seriously concerned the sport of gentlemen was being dominated by the convicts from the Antipodes and the thinking of the day became, England must win at all costs."
Douglas Jardine's "Bodyline" was such a win at all costs strategy. It involved placing at least five players close in to the batsmen and the bowler continually bowling a barrage of short pitched balls. The short pitched balls would quickly rare up from the pitch placing the batsmen in danger of injury. To counter these rising deliveries, the batsmen would be forced to adopt defensive batting strokes, which would regularly result in catches to the close in fieldsmen. The spearhead of the attack was Harold Larwood.
Donald Bradman, being an exceptionally gifted and attacking batsmen, was affected by these close in fielders. For the series, he only averaged only 56.57 which compared unfavourably with his shield average of 150 for the same period.
_
Un-Australian reaction to the strategy.
The Bodyline tactic infuriated the Australian public and heated diplomatic notes were sent by the Australian Government. To gain high moral ground, the Australian team refused to use the tactic on the English. To the present day, Australians refuse to let the English forget the unsportsmanlike conduct.
This negative reaction by Australians is peculiar considering that the tactic was within the rules and the bruises suffered by the cricketers was nothing compared to the serious injuries suffered by Football and Rugby League players of the same era. Furthermore, in the mid 80's, the West Indies employed four past bowlers who ruthlessly aimed at the body with the sole intent of inflicting pain. Yet rather than get up in arms like they did with the English, the Australian public respected the Windies and the team remains extremely popular in Australia today.
Furthermore, it was an Australian cricket captain who ordered his bowler to deliver an "underarm bowl" to deny New Zealand a chance of hitting a six off the last ball to win a game. Arguably, this was a far worse example of poor sportsmanship yet many Australians just laugh when they hear Kiwis complain.
This hypocritical behaviour of Australians may be explained as a reaction to the English mocking Australia's Convict heritage. Douglas Jardine, the English captain, once contemptuously referred to Australians as the "lower classes that got away" and during the series, he instructed his bowlers to "Knock that bloody Convicts head off." By refusing to reciprocate when it was their turn to bowl, the Australians took the high moral ground on sportsmanship. In so doing, it allowed them to send a message that it was really the English who were the unsavoury 'Convicts'.
Another possibility is that Australians have long looked for an excuse that would allow them to feel distinct from England. Like Breaker Morant in the Bore War and Gallipolli in World War 1, Bodyline allowed those Australians who wanted to see Australia and England as distinct countries, to find fault in English behaviour.
It is quite interesting to note that Harold Larwood was banned from playing for England as he refused to apologise for the way he bowled. He subsequently immigrated to Australia and rather than find hostility, he was surprised that Australians greeted him with open arms. As one commentator explained:
"Most Aussies in the 1950s when Larwood joined their nation were descended from convicts - often men sentenced for political offences rather than crimes - or the soldiers and warders sent out to run the prison system and they respected any man who stood up to the master class. "
Perhaps then, Australians were angry about bodyline not because they thought it was an evil ploy, rather, it was a good excuse to find fault in the pompous English establishment.