Ashes cricket 2023: This series is the most brutal in history, and why Australia is wrong about Bodyline

For 90 years Australia has loathed England’s Bodyline skipper and taken the moral high ground – but it’s time to admit we were wrong, writes Robert Craddock.

The revelation that this magnificent Test series has been the most brutal of modern times is further reason for cricket to de-demonise Doug … as in Bodyline captain Douglas Jardine.

Leading analyst CricViz has reported that 98 balls in the series have hit the batter’s body or helmet, making it the most brutal since this data started being collected in 2006.

The field placings and the short pitched bowling have at times had echoes of Douglas Jardine’s infamous Bodyline assault which reduced Don Bradman from Superman to mere mortal status in the 1932-33 series in Australia.

The difference is no-one’s complaining now and it’s not just because both sides are doing it and, unlike the Bodyline era, batsmen have helmets.

There is also the realisation that both teams are playing within the rules.

That, of course, was always Jardine’s contention … he played within the rules.

Is it time to admit we owe Douglas Jardine (bottom R, with Australian captain Bill Woodfull), and the original Bodyline exponents, an apology?

There was nothing in the laws of the game that could stop Jardine from targeting Bradman’s body and stacking the leg side field.

Australia were furious at Jardine for breaking the spirit of cricket as his blood and thunder tactics helped England win the series 4-1 and restrict Bradman to a series average of 56, barely half of his career average of 99.94.

But he did what he had to within the laws of the game.

Just as Australia broke no rules by stumping Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s nor, despite Australia’s relentless complaints, did Jardine contravene any laws by getting the magnificent fast man Harold Larwood to rough up Bradman.

A total of 98 deliveries have hit a batter's body or helmet during this series, already the most for any Test series since 2006 passing AUS v SA in 2008/09 (76 balls). #Ashes2023#EngvAus

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) July 30, 2023

Interestingly, this series is the 90th anniversary of Bodyline, a milestone which passed quietly because neither nation wanted to celebrate or claim it … England are not proud of what Jardine did and Australia still feel it wasn’t cricket.

Jardine may have alienated Australia at the time but as time moved on several big name Australians became fascinated by his strong will and admired his contrary brilliance.

Former Test captain Ian Chappell, whose grandfather Vic Richardson played in the Bodyline series, once admitted to Cricinfo he found Jardine “fascinating’’ and a “very, very smart captain’’.

Allan Border, who faced similarly hostile bowling from the great West India sides of the 1980s, also lauded Jardine as “tactically brilliant.’’

“He looked at the opposition, realised the only way England could be Australia was to limit Bradman and I thought it was tactically brilliant – simple as that,’’ Border told this masthead recently.