ARMOUR FOR CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 186, 4 May 1933, Page 13

ARMOUR FOR CRICKET

Killing Body-line Bowling ENGLISH CAPTAIN’S PLAN (Reuter —Special to “The Dominion.”) London, March 9. Although the successful exploitation of the much-discussed leg-theory or body-line bowling proved no inconsiderable factor in England’s Test cricketers regaining the “Ashes,” there remains a large body of cricket players and officials of the game in England who believe this type of bowling to be contrary to the best interests of tlie sport. Mr. B. H. Lyon, captain of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, ami a constant agitator for cricket reform, gave his opinion on the leg-theory to a London newspaper last week. Mr. Lyon firmly believes that the best way to kill this form of bowling is by ridicule. “Official protests,” he said, “are no good. What the Australians should have done was to wear armour. “I intend to do so if leg theory is pursued over here this summer. I tried to get some armour made when Gloucestershire played Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last summer, but I could not get it in time. Buck-skin Over Steel. “I would wear thin steel body armour covered, if you like, with white buck-skin or canvas. It would stand out from the body and would be slanted so that a ball bitting it would fly off. “In addition, I would wear a steellined crash helmet with a visor, so that my head would be completely protected, while a ball hitting it would go for four. You ought to be able to rely on at least 12 runs an over in ‘body-byes.’ At the end of each over from the body-line bowler I would take off my armour and hand it to the umpire to hold. “There Is no rule against such protection. Admittedly it would make a farce of the game, but it would kill leg-theory, while tlie short leg fieldsman would have to be insured against damage from balls cannoning off steelplate.” Confidence from Kent. Another critic of leg-theory, though speaking in a milder vein, was Mr. G. R. V. Weigall, former Cambridge and Kent cricketer, when addressing the annual meeting of the Kent County Cricket Club. “We hope body-line bowling does not come to stay,” he said, “but if it does I know of no side able to handle it so successfully as our own. We have three magnificent left-hand bats in Al T. F. Chapman, G. J. Bryan, and Woolley, while we have several tali, quick-foot-ed