Body-line Bowling

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 105, 27 January 1933, Page 11

Body-line Bowling

Sir, —The Australian Board of Control has timed its protest badly, and has made itself ridiculous by the suggestion of strained' political relations; but. most cricketers will agree that something ought to be done to meet bowling at the body. My suggestion, which originated on some pretty rough wickets in my schoolboy days, is that a penalty of 10 runs should be added in the extras for every time the ball strikes the batsman above (say), the hips. For the purposes of the rules it is impossible to distinguish between the ball purposely bumped and the short ball: but some such penalty would show that the authorities are iu earnest in keeping down what is.a real danger. I believe a fast bowler attains over 00 miles an hour with the ball, and there should be some restriction. A bowler might occasionally be penalised unjustly, but such a rule would probably work for lhe good of the game. —1 am, etc., LEX. Wauganui, January 25.