Real “Bodyline”

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 306, 22 September 1934, Page 9

Real “Bodyline”

Sir, —It is surprising that none of your ■ correspondents have drawn attention to the first notice of bodyline bowling in English literature. Conan Doyle was a lover of sport, and he makes reference to it in his historical sketch, "The Adventures of Gerard.” Gerard was one of the great Napoleon’s cavalry leaders. For a time he was a prisoner of war in England, and a guest of a wealthy English sporting peer, Lord Rufton. In later years, Gerard spoke of the passion of the English for sport, and boasted of his triumphs over them at their own games of foxhunting, pheasant shooting, boxing and cricket. Of the latter he says:— "The English have a game which they play in summer called cricket. I learned to play that on the lawn before milord's mansion. Ah, that is a game for soldiers and brave men, and not for children. It is played thus: One man tries to hit the other with a ball, against which he has.only a stick to defend himself. Three pegs are driven in the ground, beyond which he must not retreat. Rudd, the head gardener, was a great player of cricket, and so was milord himself. It was for me to defend first, ' and for Rudd to attack. He missed me. but in spite of my nine campaigns under the great Napoleon, I must confess that I turned pale when the ball whizzed past me, before I had time to raise my stick, and knocked down the three boundary pegs. It was then for. Rudd to defend himself, and for me to attack. As a boy in Gascony. I had learned to throw bard and straight, and I felt sure that I could hit that Englishman. With a shout. 1 ran forward and hurled my ball. But with surprising quickness, he raised his stick, and the ' ball flew to an amazing'distance It was again for me to attack, and for him to turn pale. But he was a brave man that gardener, for he stood up a second time. I felt certain now that my hour of victor}- fiad arrived He wore a red waistcoat, and I made that my target. You would have thought that I was an artilleryman and not a hussar, so swift did my ball fly to its mark. He fell, and knocked down the three pegs. He was h cruel man, that Milord Rufton. He stood and laughed, and did not go to the help of his servant. It was for me. the victor, to rush forward, and lift him to his feet (for he could not stand) to embrace him and cheer him with words of praise and encouragement. He was a fairminded man. that Englishman, He acknowledged that it was skill, and not chance, which had given me the victory. "He did it a purpose.” “He did it a purpose!" He said it again and again. Would it not be a change for some letter writers to turn their attacks-from English and Australian cricketers to the man who first introduced the idea of real “bodyline bowling’’ to English cricket — "Brigadier Gerard.” —I am. etc., G.S.C. Wellington, September 20.