Bodyline Series: A Stump Witnessing Cricket's Crisis

The Bodyline Series - A Stump That Witnessed the Crisis A cricket stump souvenired from the 3rd Test at Adelaide by Australian team member, Herbert Ironmonger and subsequently gifted to W. Martin with the inscription 'To W. Martin, 3rd Test Adelaide, 18/1/33' and signed by Ironmonger. The stump is also signed by the members of the Australian and English teams, with 21 autographs visible (as the stump is presented) including Don Bradman, Jack Fingleton, Stan McCabe, Bert Oldfield, Bill O'Reilly and Victor Richardson as well as Douglas Jardine, Harold Larwood, Gubby Allen, Maurice Tate, Herbert Sutcliffe, Bill Voce and Bill Bowes. A remarkable survivor of this controversial Test Series. 'The 'bodyline' tactics of England captain Douglas Jardine in the third Test (Adelaide) have brought relations between Australia and England to crisis point. The incident began with Larwood's last ball of his second over to Australian captain Bill Woodfull. This delivery jumped up from short of a length outside the off stump and fizzed back in at Woodfull, who had expected it to fly harmlessly by. It struck him above the heart, he staggered and dropped his bat. The Adelaide Oval, from the members stand to the outer ground, erupted in scenes of unprecedented outrage. Jardine and Larwood were hooted and counted out. What followed was unmitigated stupidity if it was not deliberate provocation. Woodfull recovered and continued his innings. Larwood had had an orthodox field for his first two overs, but either he or Jardine (both have denied responsibiliy) changed to a bodyline field for Woodfull in the third over. This reinforced the notion in the crowd that 'bodyline' was really and truly a method directed at the body of a batsman, even one injured like Woodfull. All hell broke loose...... That was Saturday. Sunday was a rest day. On Monday, the Australian innings rrsumed, and wicket-keeper Bert Oldfield deflected a short one from Larwood into his head, fracturing his skull. He sportingly claimed that it was his own mistake.' England Manager 'Plum' Warner had come to Woodfull to offer sympathy. Woodfull sent a succinct and devastating message in response: 'I don't want to see you, Mr Warner. There are two teams out there on the oval. One is playing cricket, the other is not. This game is too good to be spoilt. It is time some people got out of it.' (200 Years of Australian Cricket 1804 - 2004, (Sydney; Pan Macmillan, 2004) page 225.