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[RichardB]

Yes.... Two things please...

Much of the controversy is about the background of those bowlers... middle class gents they were not...and with an uncompromising Jardine to lead them.

... and we never heard any complaints from the Ozzies regarding Lillee's bowling, who would similarly test the spirit of the game with his bouncers... often at the lower order.

good afternoon young Cobbett

[bill cobbett]

Yes.... Two things please...

Much of the controversy is about the background of those bowlers... middle class gents they were not...and with an uncompromising Jardine to lead them.

... and we never heard any complaints from the Ozzies regarding Lillee's bowling, who would similarly test the spirit of the game with his bouncers... often at the lower order.

good afternoon young Cobbett

Good afternoon Northern Cheffee.

[Jerry]

Paphos wicketkeeper: Allan Knott, who according to my English cricket loving friends was the greatest ever...

Well here's a useless bit of boring Jerry trivia for you Svetlana, Allan Knott ( Kent wicket keeper) used to run a sports shop in Herne Bay where I was brought up. He came into my restaurant for a quick meal one day saying that he didn't have much time to eat because his wife was in Canterbury hospital about to give birth.

[supporttheunderdog]

154-7?

[Paphitis]

Yes.... Two things please...

Much of the controversy is about the background of those bowlers... middle class gents they were not...and with an uncompromising Jardine to lead them.

... and we never heard any complaints from the Ozzies regarding Lillee's bowling, who would similarly test the spirit of the game with his bouncers... often at the lower order.

The Bodyline Series is what changed Cricket.

After that they had to change the rules in order to control the use of the Bouncer because in 1932 it had changed the game. Cricket had seen nothing like it, and the Australian Batsmen could not play their game of cricket. Basically, then, you could get 10 straight bouncers aimed at your head and then the one that is bang on could take you by surprised because the batsmen were basically expecting the ball between the eyes.

Notice that the Australian Batsmen wore no helmets in that day. Because it was still a Gentleman's Game.

But that Ashes series changed everything.

Dennis Lillee was a great bowler. He would bowl the one bouncer, if that, all within the rules and if he bowled it again, then it would be called a "No Ball". Many great bowlers. The West Indies were absolutely awesome in their heyday!

[Paphitis]

The bodyline series really was a war (with govts getting involved) and as paphites said it was totally against the spirit of the 'gentlemens' game at the time .

Jardine the English captain however would argue until his death that what England produced WAS within the laws of the game.

It should be noted that Harold Larwood never represented England again after that tour , and Bill Voce his bowling partner never again reached the heights previously attained.

Both bowlers came from the same pit village of Kirby in Ashfield and both played for Notts CCC...and would have seen cricket as an escape from the pits.

I had the honour of meeting Harold Larwood shortly before his death when i was working at Trent Bridge and he had come over from Australia ( of all places) where he then lived, to have a stand named in his honour at Trent Bridge.

Both Harold Larwood and Bill Voce are still revered in cricketing circles in Nottingham ..having streets and pubs named after them.

Looking back at the old films of the series it is amusing to note that their bowling (on film at least) looks quite tame compared to Thomson and Lillee in the seventies!!!

It was just a different era of cricket back then.

In those days, the bowlers would just bowl fair and square right at the wicket or look for an edge off stump. If a ball bounced towards someone's head, the bowler would apologize to the batsman and the game will go on.

Bodyline in 1932 and in 1933 during the Australian tour of England was "warfare" between Australia and England. The Australian public was polarized and in those years relations between the 2 countries declined. Diplomatic Incidents between Prime Ministers and all.

In 1933, the Australian Cricket Team refused to go through the MCC members. It was considered the biggest snub. They also had an Aboriginal Fast bowler (Eddie Gilbert) who used the English Tactics and that also caused quite the stir.

And from then on, the rivalry intensified.

That is the great thing about the Ashes. So much tradition, rivalry and history.



This is a picture of one of the Australian Batsmen having their skull fractured. He could have been killed!

[Paphitis]

Basically guys, from 1932 onwards until the outbreak of WW2, Australian and English relations were very frosty. I'm talking about absolute hatred!

Diplomats would just about not talk to each other for the entire decade.

There were even embargoes between the 2 countries. English Products would not be purchased in Australia by the Australian public and the English would not buy Australian Products.

England from then was considered an "enemy". In those days Donald Bradman was almost worshiped like a "God".

Outside the sport, there were significant consequences for Anglo-Australian relations, which remained strained until the outbreak of World War II made cooperation paramount. Business between the two countries was adversely affected as citizens of each country avoided goods manufactured in the other.

This is why this intense rivalry exists today.

The Australians also just could not ever respect English society the way it was. And the country was developing its own identity and increasingly wanting to cut ties and the strings and go its own way.

[RichardB]

The bodyline series really was a war (with govts getting involved) and as paphites said it was totally against the spirit of the 'gentlemens' game at the time .

Jardine the English captain however would argue until his death that what England produced WAS within the laws of the game.

It should be noted that Harold Larwood never represented England again after that tour , and Bill Voce his bowling partner never again reached the heights previously attained.

Both bowlers came from the same pit village of Kirby in Ashfield and both played for Notts CCC...and would have seen cricket as an escape from the pits.

I had the honour of meeting Harold Larwood shortly before his death when i was working at Trent Bridge and he had come over from Australia ( of all places) where he then lived, to have a stand named in his honour at Trent Bridge.

Both Harold Larwood and Bill Voce are still revered in cricketing circles in Nottingham ..having streets and pubs named after them.

Looking back at the old films of the series it is amusing to note that their bowling (on film at least) looks quite tame compared to Thomson and Lillee in the seventies!!!

It was just a different era of cricket back then.

In those days, the bowlers would just bowl fair and square right at the wicket or look for an edge off stump. If a ball bounced towards someone's head, the bowler would apologize to the batsman and the game will go on.

Bodyline in 1932 and in 1933 during the Australian tour of England was "warfare" between Australia and England. The Australian public was polarized and in those years relations between the 2 countries declined. Diplomatic Incidents between Prime Ministers and all.

In 1933, the Australian Cricket Team refused to go through the MCC members. It was considered the biggest snub. They also had an Aboriginal Fast bowler (Eddie Gilbert) who used the English Tactics and that also caused quite the stir.

And from then on, the rivalry intensified.

That is the great thing about the Ashes. So much tradition, rivalry and history.



This is a picture of one of the Australian Batsmen having their skull fractured. He could have been killed!

Absolutely paphites....This is what makes cricket so great ...Yes the 4-5 day county games can be a bit dire ...but get into a test series and the whole game changes.

I still remember the first test match i ever attended ...must have been about 12....Eng Vs Windies (with the great Wes Hall, sobers Kallichiran et el) In those days you could still sit on the grass surrounding the pitch so long as you stayed behind the white rope as it was in those days ...Me and a mate had ended up in the centre of the West Indian supporters ..what an atmosphere ...they treated 2 young kids like royalty.

Happy days

But you really cannot beat an ashes series

[supporttheunderdog]

154-7?

180-8 . Two to go.

[Paphitis]

The bodyline series really was a war (with govts getting involved) and as paphites said it was totally against the spirit of the 'gentlemens' game at the time .

Jardine the English captain however would argue until his death that what England produced WAS within the laws of the game.

It should be noted that Harold Larwood never represented England again after that tour , and Bill Voce his bowling partner never again reached the heights previously attained.

Both bowlers came from the same pit village of Kirby in Ashfield and both played for Notts CCC...and would have seen cricket as an escape from the pits.

I had the honour of meeting Harold Larwood shortly before his death when i was working at Trent Bridge and he had come over from Australia ( of all places) where he then lived, to have a stand named in his honour at Trent Bridge.

Both Harold Larwood and Bill Voce are still revered in cricketing circles in Nottingham ..having streets and pubs named after them.

Looking back at the old films of the series it is amusing to note that their bowling (on film at least) looks quite tame compared to Thomson and Lillee in the seventies!!!

It was just a different era of cricket back then.

In those days, the bowlers would just bowl fair and square right at the wicket or look for an edge off stump. If a ball bounced towards someone's head, the bowler would apologize to the batsman and the game will go on.

Bodyline in 1932 and in 1933 during the Australian tour of England was "warfare" between Australia and England. The Australian public was polarized and in those years relations between the 2 countries declined. Diplomatic Incidents between Prime Ministers and all.

In 1933, the Australian Cricket Team refused to go through the MCC members. It was considered the biggest snub. They also had an Aboriginal Fast bowler (Eddie Gilbert) who used the English Tactics and that also caused quite the stir.

And from then on, the rivalry intensified.

That is the great thing about the Ashes. So much tradition, rivalry and history.



This is a picture of one of the Australian Batsmen having their skull fractured. He could have been killed!

Absolutely paphites....This is what makes cricket so great ...Yes the 4-5 day county games can be a bit dire ...but get into a test series and the whole game changes.

I still remember the first test match i ever attended ...must have been about 12....Eng Vs Windies (with the great Wes Hall, sobers Kallichiran et el) In those days you could still sit on the grass surrounding the pitch so long as you stayed behind the white rope as it was in those days ...Me and a mate had ended up in the centre of the West Indian supporters ..what an atmosphere ...they treated 2 young kids like royalty.

Happy days

But you really cannot beat an ashes series

I remember growing up as a teenager.

In those days the West Indies were it and they would tour Australia every summer. The Test Matches and the one dayers were really great and the west Indies were dominant. It was a big achievement to beat them, but most of the time they would come up trumps against the Australian Team led by Alan Border.

There were so many great players. From the West Indies I clearly remember Curtley Ambrose, Michael Holding, Viv Richards, Malcom Marshall, Courtney Walsh, Brian Lara etc etc.

I think it was the West Indies that helped Australian cricket in those days. Absolutely menacing fast bowlers and great batsmen.

That was a golden era...

The Ashes are very important.

I must get to see a Test Match at Lords one day. Maybe the next one. Hopefully the Australian Team will be sorted by then...