BODYLINE BOWLING CONTROVERSY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 68, 13 December 1933, Page 9

BODYLINE BOWLING CONTROVERSY

M.C.C. Reply to Australia OCTOBER CABLE REGARDED AS FINAL By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, December 11. The M.C.C. has cabled the Board of Control: “In reference to your cable of November 16 you must please accept our cable of October 9, which speaks for itself, as final. We cannot go beyond the assurance therein given. We shall welcome an Australian team next year. , “If, however, your board, decides that such games should be deferred we shall regret the decision. Please let us know your final decision as soon as possible; in any event by the end of the year.” A member of the M.C.C. committee said: “We are all heartily sick of these cables. All we want is that the Australians come here and have a jolly good game as in the past. If the M.C.C.’s assurance that we play as hitherto is not good enough for them, they kad better stay away.” MIXED RECEPTION Australian Viewpoint (Received December 12, 10.5 p.m.) Sydney, December 12. The Marylebone’s cable message had a mixed reception here and in other States. The consensus of opinion in Sydney is that the Board of Control got wffiat it deserved, but some prominent cricketers and officials at Melbourne still regard the position as unsatisfactory. The view ’is expressed that the M.C.C. cable is ambiguous. At, least t—o Victorian members of the board and two Queensland members are of opinion that another meeting of the board will be necessary. Mr. R. Oxlade, chairman of the board, stated to-day that the Marylebone’s cable was being circulated among the members of the board for their opinions. He hoped no further meeting of the board would be demanded. The Australian Cricket Board of Control's cable message to the M.C.C. assumed that the M.C.C. cable of October 9 intended to give the assurance asked for in the Board of Control’s cable message of October 22. “On this understanding,’ said the Board’s cable, “we are sending our team to England next year.” English cricket circles were astonished at the Australian Board of Control’s cable, considering that it resurrected , the controversy which was happily dead—namely. Was tie bowling unfair? The board had every reason to be satisfied with Marylebone’s cable of October 9, since it agreed that bowling at the man was contrary to the spirit of the game, and gave an assurance that such tactics would not be used in 1934.