Re: Jardine's tour of India (Offlist)

[Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Uhlas,


I am surprised at this.  Voce also bowled bodyline as did Bowes.  Clarke I
do not know about.


regards
Gary

At 06:20  3/12/00 +0530, you wrote:
>Gary,
>
>I have made inquiries about Jardine's tour of India in 1933-34.
>Jardine didn't use bodyline tactics on his India tour. Larwood was not part
>of English squad. English pace attack consisted of Voce, Bowes and Clarke. I
>don't think there was any riot on the cricket field on that tour.
>
>Regards,
>
>Ulhas
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Gary Maclennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 12:07 PM
>Subject: Jardine's tour of India
>
>
> > I noticed on the list demographics that there is a subscriber from
> > India.  I wonder if they know anything about a very interesting moment in
> > the politics of sport.  The English cricket team of 1932-3 is notorious
>for
> > its aggressive bowling in the test series against Australia.  I won't go
> > into the technical stuff but basically the English fast bowlers bowled at
> > the batsmen's head and heart and  set the field so that the batter could
> > neither fend off the ball or hit it safely.  As a result the English won
> > and Australia' great batsman and public hero, Sir Donald Bradman was
>humbled.
> >
> > This all took place at the height of the Depression when because England
> > demanded repayment on loans the Australian economy collapsed. So as is the
> > way of things here in the absence of a revolutionary struggle politics
> > flowed into sport.  There were near riots they say after one of the Test
> > matches. However Australia being Australia in the end they took the
> > punishment that the Brits meted out to them.
> >
> > I lecture on this each year to my Australian students and make the point
> > that if the Australians had genuinely rioted then Jardine the English
> > captain would have had to employ alternative tactics.  As proof of this I
> > cite the instance of Jardine's subsequent tour to India.  There he tried
> > the body line tactic again and in response the crowd charged the
> > pitch.  end of tour of course and equally interestingly - the end of body
> > line.  The tactic was outlawed by the cricket authorities.  So as I say
>the
> > contrast is between the response of the moderate who continues to take the
> > punishment that the master class dishes out and the rebels who actually
> > make the master back off.
> >
> > I enjoy this part of my lecture enormously, but I have to confess that the
> > audience are less enthusiastic.  But why should they be happy?
> >
> > I would be grateful if the Indian subscriber could give me a reference for
> > more detail on Jardine in India or even comment.
> >
> > regards
> >
> > Gary
> >
> >