Third Test, 1932–33 Ashes series
These tactics, employed by the England fast bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce on the direction of their captain, Douglas Jardine, engendered much ill-feeling.
The deliveries were often short pitched, bouncing as high as the head and torso of the batsman, with four or five fielders close by on the leg side waiting to catch deflections off the bat.
Generally regarded as the greatest batsman of all time, Bradman had scored a world record 974 Test runs during that series, a feat which remains unsurpassed.
[9] On the journey to Australia, Jardine discussed tactics with Larwood and other bowlers, and he may have met senior batsmen Wally Hammond and Herbert Sutcliffe.
[11] While Jardine's unfriendly approach and superior manner caused some friction with the press and spectators, the early tour matches were uncontroversial and Larwood and Voce had a light workload in preparation for the Test series.
However, he was accused of hypocrisy for not taking a stand on either side,[19] particularly after expressing sentiments at the start of the tour that cricket "has become a synonym for all that is true and honest.
[21] Jardine's tactics were successful in one respect: in six innings against the tourists ahead of the Tests, Bradman had scored only 103 runs, causing concern among the Australian public who expected much more from him.
[24][25] The only Australian batsman to make an impact was Stan McCabe, who hooked and pulled everything aimed at his upper body,[26] undeterred by the prospect of taking a potentially lethal blow to the head.
[33] Critics began to believe bodyline was not quite the threat that had been perceived and Bradman's reputation, which had suffered slightly with his earlier failures, was restored.
[37][38] Before the Second Test in Melbourne, he had to wait until minutes before the game before he was confirmed as captain by the selectors,[39] causing the toss to be delayed and leading to speculation that the Australian Board of Control wanted to remove Woodfull because of his refusal to allow his bowlers to retaliate.
"[40] The media advocated the selection of Eddie Gilbert, an indigenous bowler of extreme pace,[41] in order to return the bodyline barrage.
[42] Another suggested means of retaliation was Laurie Nash,[41] a footballer and paceman whose notoriously abrasive personality and aggression saw him regarded as a thug.
The rest of the tour selection committee, Wally Hammond, Bob Wyatt, Herbert Sutcliffe and Warner would not consider dropping the captain.
[51] The English selectors were concerned by the domination of the Australian spinners of Bill O'Reilly and Bert Ironmonger, who had reduced the tourists to strokelessness in the second Test.
He replaced the Nawab of Pataudi whose earlier successes, including a century on his Test match debut, were offset by his slow scoring.
After twenty minutes play, England had scored just four runs when Jardine was bowled off his pads trying to glance a swinging delivery from Wall.
He had to duck underneath one ball and departed after slashing wildly at a quick delivery and with the score at 16, he was caught by Wicket-keeper Bert Oldfield, standing further back than usual, diving across in front of first slip.
"[52] A second wicket fell without a run added as Sutcliffe, after 46 minutes batting, played a weak shot and hit O'Reilly in the air.
[57][59] Leyland and Wyatt began a recovery after the interval, batting beyond tea in putting on a 156-run partnership and turning the match back towards England.
[60] Jardine had told the pair to bat cautiously, but Wyatt hit three sixes, two off Grimmett; usually, he was a dour, defensive batsman.
[1] In all, he hit thirteen fours and his driving on the off-side was praised by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, while Wilfred Rhodes, writing in England, believed that Leyland ought to become Sutcliffe's regular opening partner.
[68] Wall then bowled Voce, who moved too far across the pitch and left his leg stump exposed, and had Verity caught by Richardson after scoring 45 in two-and-a-half hours.
The fielders were moved into bodyline positions, causing the crowd to protest and call abuse at the England team, even more so than when Woodfull was hit.
[77][79] Some English players later expressed fears that a large-scale riot and that the police would not be able to stop the irate home crowd, who were worried that Woodfull or Bradman could be killed, from attacking them.
It is likely that Jardine wished to press home his team's advantage in the match, while the bodyline field was usually employed at that stage of an innings.
[1] Later in the day, the English team manager Pelham Warner visited the Australian dressing room to express his sympathies to Woodfull.
[77][78] Woodfull's abrupt response was meant to be private, but it was leaked to the press and became the most famous quotation of this tumultuous period in cricket history:[2] I do not want to see you, Mr Warner.
[78] Ponsford was hit all over his back and shoulders because of his strategy of turning away and shielding his bat from the possibility of yielding a catch,[77][84] and Australian wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield was struck a severe blow to the head while batting on the third day of the match, causing a fracture (although this was from a top edge off a traditional non-bodyline ball and Oldfield admitted it was his fault).
[87] During the fifth day's play the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket[85] sent the following cable to the MCC in London: Bodyline bowling has assumed such proportions as to menace the best interests of the game, making protection of the body by the batsman the main consideration.
[93][94] In the meantime, the second innings in Adelaide saw England set Australia a near-impossible 532 for victory; even today,[95] the highest successful Test run chase is 418.
