Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
Published November 22, 2006
Americans took out their anger at the British 200 odd years ago over taxation without representation, then cut their ties with a revolution after first throwing English tea into Boston Harbor. Here in Australia a similar thing came very close to happening in the 1930s.
It led to a furious exchange of cables between London and Canberra, with the respective governments moving quickly to quell the rising tide of resentment. In Australia, the Union Jack was burnt in the streets. There were calls to remove it from the Australian flag, and serious demands that Australia break with Britain forever. In a scenario that could only ever have been played out in this country, the storm had nothing to do with King, Empire, or a Britain that was treating Australia unfairly - at least not on a political level.
It was about something far more important: the game of cricket - or more specifically, it wasn't. This was the infamous and controversial Bodyline Series of 1932-33, in which England Captain Douglas Jardine, widely regarded even among his own countrymen as an upper-class twit, came up with a brilliant but misguided plan to regain the Ashes - the trophy fought over yearly between the two nations in a series of Test matches played alternately in England during the northern hemisphere summer and in Australia during the southern one.
Jardine, faced with the steely resolve of flinty-eyed Aussie batsmen like the late Sir Donald Bradman, who along with his mates had taken to whacking English bowlers all over the park, ordered his pacemen to hurl bouncers at the heads and bodies of the Australians rather than at the stumps they were trying to protect. Anyone who has ever held a cricket ball, or has had the misfortune of having to face one accelerating at 90mph off the turf a few feet in front of your face, would know why this is a really bad idea (or a good one, depending on which side of the fence you stand).
Under the laws of cricket, however, it was perfectly legal and still is, although since Bodyline, the number of these balls that can be bowled at a batsman is now limited. Batsmen now also wear helmets with facemasks. During the five-Test series played in Australia that long ago summer, Jardine's plan was to stack fielders close to the batsmen on the leg side hoping the Australians would be forced to take a swing with the bat at the oncoming missiles to protect themselves, and then while on the back foot get a nick or an edge on the ball and be caught.
- Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
- Published: November 22, 2006
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Sports: Other, Culture: Society, Culture: History
- Writer: the silver surfer
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Comments on this articleComments
Here we are Christopher, with a story dedicated to the sport we both love, where we can go off topic without going off topic, and you haven't even poked your head out of the bloody woodwork.
Not that I'd blame you, though, given the score.
Early doors though ...
Whinging Aussie!
What's the matter, chicken?
Har Har!
Have you been watching? I think your mob are sunk this Test but judging by the ferocity on Freddie's face today, I wouldn't be writing them off for the series just yet.
Problem is, they don't always travel well do they?
BTW, do you get a sports package with cricket in Spain on pay TV? I assumed you must have because you were up with the ICC scores from India.
I think we were done for when Ponting won the toss. Having The Gabba as the venue for the first test, with it's somewhat dodgy pitch, is all part of you convicts' plan to get the Ashes back!
I think the idea is to expose you to thousands of mad Queenslanders first up and unsettle you completely. They even scare us (my wife's one ... she's as mad as a two-bob watch).
It's the heat. It's fried their brains.
I thought Freddie did well today to hold his side together and didn't lose his nerve in a really bad situation for them. We like him here, by the way.
I can't gloat ... I hated it last year when you guys did it.
I must try to behave ... behave ... trying hard.
Bugger it, it's no use: you're goooone!
"she's as mad as a two-bob watch."
lol
Yeah, thanks Donnie ... (I suppose that translates in the US to as mad as a $2 watch ... we don't have shillings (bob) and more but we still use the term)
But mate, she actually is. They all are. And she turns back into back into a mad Queenslander every time we go up there about 3 seconds after we cross the state border.
Life would be a lot less colourful without 'em though. They make the world go round a bit here, and at least know how to have fun.
England all out today (lunchtime Monday, AEST) for 370 in their second innings ... big win to Australia but at least the Poms had a decent dig on Sunday.
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Ah yes, the great clash of cultures: At the end of day one, Australia are firmly in command of the first Test, ending at 3/350, with skipper Ricky Ponting notching up a ton to finish the day on 138. A few glum looking pommies in my office ambled over half way through the day, having become far less noisy as time went on, and one said: "That'll be it for us then for another 17 years." It's early doors, but the writing IS on the wall, especially on this wicket at the Gabba, which is being described as a "belter".