BODYLINE “AUTHORS” USED CRUETS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22657, 7 June 1948, Page 5

BODYLINE “AUTHORS” USED CRUETS

LONDON, May 14.

.Discussing bodyline in his book Cricketers’ Carnii'al, the West Indian, Learie Constantine, says Jardine and Arthur Carr cold-bloodedly worked out, in the grill-room of a Piccadilly hotel, the bowling and field-setting plan, that routed Australia. They used salt and pepper pots to represent men. Jardine was captain of the English team on the "bodyline” tour of 1932-33, when the English fast bowlers used leg theory. Carr was a former Nottinghamshire and England captain. Constantine adds that Jardine was perfectly within his rights and that he never feared leg-theory bowling himself.

“I well remember his making a century off mine,” Constantine said. "His answer was what I feel W. G. Grace's might have been: ‘Never mind what they bowl, hit is!’ ” Referring to England's failure on the last Australian tour, Constantine says: “1 talked to members of the side who say that some of the cramped English batting was caused by fear of being “umpired out,” following bitter experiences.