🏏Bodyline Reunion: When Oldfield, Larwood and Jardine went to lunch.

[@andywilley3041]

Harold larwood, underrated fast bowler, working class and honest, forever my hero....

[@normanpearson8753]

Voce is always forgotten . !

[@Vme-xc4hr]

It was a disgrace how the MCC treated Larwood as a scapegoat after the body line series, glad he found peace and lived a happy life in Australia afterwards

[@theknightwatchman]

Yes, he seemed to have lived a happy life after migrating but was very reticent in discussing Bodyline.

[@stevebrindle1724]

It seems to me that the English working class has more in common with the average Aussie than with their own corrupt and petty upper classes

[@bertcert991]

As Douglas famously said that term was an abomination invented by the Aussie press who like their team and supporters didn’t like losing

[@johngriffiths6742]

And this tactic had been used before, Nottinghamshire were using it as both bowlers played for Notts.

[@Vme-xc4hr]

@@bertcert991 agreed, they’re shit losers and Bradman was rattled but despite that the MCC still made Larwood their sacrificial lamb and killed his international career

[@mrtecsom6951]

Englands greatest ever captain and Englands greatest ever fast bowler If Harold Larwood had been an old Etonian patrician snob like Allen he would have had 300 plus test wickets

[@randyborstol2491]

not really true as Jardine was 'sacrificed' by the MCC too after Bodyline.

[@jaxcoss5790]

Not true.

[@Marigold_Tearooms]

I never knew about this. Great story. I’ve read alot and watched alot on bodyline. Wish england showed the grit of Jardine during last pathetic ashes performance

[@theknightwatchman]

It’s great that the old combatants could come together in friendship after all those years. Oldfield and Jardine were both Freemasons and I heard a story that Oldfield actually invited Jardine to his lodge’s meeting in 1933 while he was still suffering from his head injury in the third Test. Amazing if true.

[@iankearns774]

@@theknightwatchman You play hard on the pitch and have a beer off it with your opponents, that's how I was taught and I have played for 47 years (beers came later of course). I think you will find many of the pros felt the same way up until the last 10 or so years. Jardine may have felt some guilt on reflection but I doubt the Aussies cared two hoots six months later.

[@theknightwatchman]

@@iankearns774 Actually, a lot Australian players of that era were more likely to socialise with English players than each other. Fingleton and Oldfield would more likely socialise with Larwood and Jardine than Bradman for instance.

[@Marigold_Tearooms]

@@theknightwatchman yes I’ve heard Bradman was a bit aloof. Fingleton hated him. Larwood was treated appallingly by the high brow MCC after the event.

[@lonestar6709]

@@theknightwatchman That's very true. Keith Miller mingled with the English, more than the Aussies. And his bestie, was Denis Compton. The Compton/Miller award, for player of the series. Best of enemies on the pitch. Best of mates, off it. And I hope it always stays that way.

[@vasudevanramani3442]

Historical,magical

[@davejaguar6532]

Thank you. I never knew about this lunch. As for Bert and Harold being mates, I could not imagine anyone who met Bert not wanting to be his mate. My most treasured (long retired) cricket possession to this day is my bottle of bat oil from Bert's Sydney city sports store.

[@theknightwatchman]

Bert Oldfield was definitely a people person. He had many fans come into his sports store and he would sign anything they asked for. A wonderful cricketer and man.

[@cricket023]

What a brilliant story

[@theknightwatchman]

A great story of friendship and reconciliation.

[@scruttles]

Well done. Many thanks..

[@theknightwatchman]

Thank you 🙏

[@agr7879]

Fascinating. Thanks for that

[@theknightwatchman]

No worries. Thank you 🙏

[@grahamalexander9956]

Amazing !!

[@vantheman1238]

What a marvellous treat that was thank you.

[@theknightwatchman]

Glad you enjoyed it ☺️ 🙏

[@vantheman1238]

@@theknightwatchman I watched a video this morning on KZbin called “Ask George” The Cricketer Magazine online report of the Ashes. George who answers questions sent in from online viewers talks about how fast Mark Wood is and was yesterday; however, he made my blood boil when he denigrated the memory of Harold Larwood with a snide passing comment that Larwood was probably the same speed as Dominic Cork!!! Great players like Benaud and Keith Miller who saw Larwood bowl in Australia said how fast and great Larwood was. Angers me that some smug cricket journalist from a cricket magazine can wipe away the brilliance of one of the games true and original greats. Right, apologies rant over. Your video came along at the right time for me this morning. 👍

[@theknightwatchman]

@@vantheman1238 Yeah that’s quite an ignorant statement from that bloke. The Bodyline documentary from a few years ago analysed Larwood to be in the range of 135-145kph…so up there with the fast bowlers playing in the Ashes presently. And that was from a limited selection of deliveries.

[@jeffreylong7973]

@@vantheman1238 you are quite correct to call out the ignorance of this comment. I recently saw a piece on line that using modern IT skill they were able to measure Larwood’s pace from various pieces of footage. His speed was calculated to be high 80s and on one piece of film above 90mph. He was a truly great bowler, also never forget that he was renown for his accuracy. Had he had the modern benefits of sports science, who knows he might have been even quicker! Like you I hate it when cricketing greats are belittled.

[@vantheman1238]

@@jeffreylong7973great comment 👍

[@rtaj247]

This is great to see. And it makes me think that Ian Chappell and Botham need to bury the hatchet. It’s only a game after all !

[@theknightwatchman]

Now that would be an interesting lunch 😅

[@AnthonyKiyola]

If they were both Freemasons then they might.

[@Spiritkill1]

When Woodfull and Oldfield were hit by Larwood he was not bowling bodyline but to an orthodox field.

[@theknightwatchman]

Woodfull had an orthodox field but Oldfield had a 3-man leg trap and a fielder behind square on the boundary, so not necessarily‘Bodyline’ but would have been an illegal field today.

[@Spiritkill1]

@@theknightwatchman I'll have to check as far as I know there was no leg trap and he was bowling to an orthodox field.

[@theknightwatchman]

@@Spiritkill1 Look for the picture taken from the Adelaide scoreboard of Oldfield bring hit in the head and you will see the leg trap: short-leg, leg gully and leg slip and a deep backward square leg on the boundary

[@Spiritkill1]

@@theknightwatchman How can I see picture from scoreboard I have one in a book I have but if I'm not mistaken only one fielder can be seen but I'll check.

[@Spiritkill1]

@@theknightwatchman Every written source mentions an orthodox field.

[@gaul849]

Or was it you don't bowl like that to us and you can think about playing in England again or is it truly about a gentleman's game.

[@alexlanning712]

Larwood, in a collar and tie?

[@sentimentalbloke185]

It's something that's never explained about Jardine, why he detested Australia & Australians so much. This attitude clearly underpinned his determination to use Bodyline tactics despite how unsportsmanlike they were, the problems they caused & that the game couldn't go forward if teams persisted in using them.

[@tryarunm]

Maybe I can throw some light on this. You see, I am an Indian in India and we have this caste system regardless of religion. It is more severe than the European 'class' divide of yore. In cricket, very simply, the upper classes were meant to bat and the lower classes to bowl. Yes, beginning in jolly old England, unfortunately. So you might hear of Ranji and his nephew Duleep, both batsmen. You will never hear of great Indian bowlers, either because they never existed or they were considered 'low caste' and therefore never reported in the Indian press.

[@tryarunm]

Again, the use of the word 'bastard'. To Jardine foul language was the height (or depth) of civilisation. Especially in cricket. How do we know that Bradman wasn't a foul mouthed backwater jackass? He probably promised the MCC fielders evil and destruction in the foulest Australian terms.

[@sentimentalbloke185]

@@tryarunm lol. wtf are you dribbling on about, son?

[@vantheman1238]

@@sentimentalbloke185😂

[@tryarunm]

@@sentimentalbloke185 don't address your elder as 'son'.