LARWOOD MAKES SLASHING ATTACK ON AUSTRALIA

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 237, 8 May 1933, Page 6

LARWOOD MAKES SLASHING ATTACK ON AUSTRALIA

LEG THEORY CLAIMED TO BE A COWLETb

SUCCESS

PLAN CONCEIVED ON VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA

“Bradman and Woodfull Were Afraid of him

Press Association. —Copyright. LONDON, May 7

HAROLD Larwood’s long silence lias been broken at last. The Sunday Express under a headline across the whole front page prints an interview which Larwood gave ,to Mr. Charles Eade, the paper’s sporting editor, with a facsimile ot Larwood’s letter approving the statement after some alteration had been made in an expression of thanks for a cheque received, the amount not being stated. “Now I can speak,” said Larwood. “For months I have been muzzled because my agreement with the Marylebone Cricket Club made it impossible for me to write or ta.k abou what happened to me and the rest of the English team m Australia —particularly to me because most of the temper and venom of the cricket crowds there were directed at my unfortunate head. Yesterday the M.C.C. tou/ ended and I was released from the obligation not to let the English public know just what we had to put up with. ... , “Until now I have had to suffer in silence the taunts and abuse of crowds in Australia. Not only the crowds, either; the newspapers there joined in the campaign to wreck us. But let me start at the beginning.

“On the way out we tallied over the plans we should adopt to win back the Ashes. We know we were up against a stiff task and that only by a definite scheme could we hope for victory. We decided to adopt the legtheory—that is* to concentrate our bowling on the leg stu’mp. “It was Jardine who originally had the idea of building for victory with this plan of attack, though all the members of the side took part in the discussions which finally led to its adoption. Voce and I were chosen as the two bowlers likely to bring it to success so in bowling as I did I was ‘merely carrying out the prearranged plan. In other words I was playing for my side, which every cricketer is supposed to do. For doing that I had to endure four months of angry crowds and ban-ackers who knew nothing about the finer points of cricket. “Leg-theory bowling probably requires more, accuracy than any other form. We were able to exploit it with complete success. That is - where the trouble started. Ban-ackers on the famous Hill at Sydney and in the cheaper part of most other grounds, particularly at Adelaide, were not there to see cricket —they were there to see Australia win. That is Avhat, they wanted and that is all they wanted. Above all they were theic to see Bradman score runs.

“All the excitement there has been about Bradman's writings had stirred the Australian crowds into believing that Bradman was a super-batsman. We showed that he was not, and the mob did not like their idol treated Hat way.

“Then there was Woochull, He was expected to stay at tn« wic ket all day while the others got runs, and he was a failure too. You*ask why Woodful! and Brad man could not stand up to my fast leg-theory bowling? These are the true reasons; Woodful! was . too slow and Bradman was too frightened—yes, frightened is the word, Bradman just would not haye it. He was spared of my bowling. 1 knew it as everybody did. Time after time he drew away from the ball. If I was not bowling when, he came in Jardine put me on at once.

'“lt might have been supposed that Woodfull would have tried to quieten the crowd or indicate in some way that ho was not in sympathy with those noisy demonstrators, but he did not do so. Ho was too slow; he did not like to face it cither. Time alter time he would duck when the ball did not get up at all. Some times the ball struck his pads and Ames and I appealed for leg-before. These antics were silly and undignified, but coming from a captain and a man of Woodfull’s long record they only encouraged the crowd to shout all the more loudly at me.

“Woodfull and Bradman were failures against fast log-theory bowling. They were upset and the crowds wore upset to see their idols fall. Richardson and McCabe played me all right but the wonderful Bradman could not.

“The Australians were being beaten so the crowd, not knowing what sportsmanship means, shouted abuse at the men who were winning. Can you my feelings whefi 50,000 people ‘booed’ my every step as I ran to the wicket? Do you know what a bowler thinks about when he realises he is not only playing the batsmen but the crowd as well?

“On the previous tour I was treated in the same way. I was only 24 then and I must say the barracking orgy and shouts upset me. I was so distressed, in fact, that I could not do justice to myself or my side. I could not bowl properly. It was not the conditions, the ground or the batsmen that beat me four .years a,go; it was the crowd. They tried to put me off and wanted to see me fail. They tried to upset me' and succeeded. “The barrackers heat me in 1928-29, but this time I was four years older, more experienced and tougher and the crowd could not upset me by their unfairness and hostility. When they jeered and booed they merely made me grit my teeth and bowl harder than ever. Of course I said a few things about them under my breath, but took care not to let them see I was affected.

“On the first tour I was upset; this time I was inspired; next time I shall probably enjoy it. If I am selected I shall be ready and willing to go again. I know I have been reported to have said I would never make another tour hut it is a lie. I have never said it.

“Many newspapers tried to put words into my mouth but I have been loyal to my agreement with the M.C.CJ. I have .not spoken out till now. A group of journalists came, to interview me at Su'ez and offered to pay me. I could have had £IOOO that day, hut I would not tell them anything. You

are the first newspaperman I have given an interview to. I am telling you my own story just as I would tell it to my friends. “The newspapers of Australia were up against me just as much as the barrackcrs. They spread stories 01 qu'arrels in the English loam oven before wc arrived. They were all lies; there was no trouble at all in the team. This campaign only caused the English players to stick together all tho more. I take off my hat to Jardine for the way he had stuck the abuse hurled at him by the crowd. And what abuse, and what a crowd! “People who have only watched cricket in England cannot imagine the bitterness of the disappointed mob of cricket fans in Australia. Yet they are allowed to dominate the game in Australia to such an extent that the Board of Control protested at our methods. The Board of Control! What a title! It cannot even control its own crowds. Half of the members could not tell you the weight of a cricket ball. “When tho Australians come here they are treated as gentlemen; when We go to Australia we have to suffer cheap - wit and abuse by an unsportsmanlike "Png which would not no tolerated for a moment here. Tho Australian- poupie secj. ed to on out to throw us off our gam 3. When they failed they shouted in un and hoped to win that way- “ They made a lot <>i' hot air about body-line bowling. That 1. rubbish if vrju like. If i bowled at. the body iiuw was it that I kepi- bitting the wickets-and getting men leg before? “The fact is the Australians wore fairly and squarely beaten. Their favourite players failed and the crowds - were not in forested in tho play but the result and tried to get back at me because my bowling—to my captain’s orders —had had a lot to do with our success. The Australians may not like my bowling—well, I do not like their howling; it is not cncThe Marylcbone team was tumultuously welcomed on its arrival at Glas-gow.-The team was accorded a civic welcome and then dashed to the train southward amid the cheers of 10,000 admirers.