Rare footage reveals English cricket team’s aggressive tactic to beat Donald Bradman in the Ashes

Rare footage has been uncovered that shows the tactics employed by the English cricket team to beat Donald Bradman during the 1932-33 Ashes Test series in Australia.

The National Film and Sound Archive has shared footage recorded during the series, which shows English bowler Harold Larwood using the “bodyline” approach and the reaction of the Australian team.

The controversial method was created by English captain Douglas Jardine after they were defeated in a previous series thanks to the remarkable batting of Bradman.

In the footage, Bradman can at one point be seen rubbing his arm after being bowled by Larwood, while other Australians can at various points be seen writhing on the ground in apparent pain.

While the strategy helped to secure a win for the English, it did not last long, and at one stage even had the English team fearing for their lives in the face of the outraged locals bearing witness.

Drama on the pitch, anger in the stands

Heading into the Ashes Test of 1932, the primary goal of the English team was to find a way to “subdue” Bradman’s singular ability as batsman, NFSA curator Jeff Wray said.

They had previously noted he was less confident when facing short-pitched deliveries, and decided to capitalise on that.

“The pressure had been building throughout the series — England had made no secret as to the tactics they were going to employ,” Mr Wray said.

“The alarm bells were ringing when four fast bowlers came on the touring team.

“The Test matches just increased that tension.”

In those days, cricketers did not wear the helmets and protective clothing as they do today, and they were fully exposed to the balls travelling at 90km per hour for them.

“The ball coming through waist to chest height, on the leg side, with a packed field, was quite intimidating and difficult to play,” Mr Wray said.

The batsmen were forced to either play or “get out of the way”.

The newly digitised footage from the NFSA shows Bradman rubbing his arm after being struck, while in another clip, another batsman falls to the ground after being hit in the temple.

The tactics were so shocking, Mr Wray said, that they almost caused an “international incident”, when spectators in Adelaide reacted to what was happening on the pitch.

The English side even discussed using the stumps as weapons, they were so convinced the angry locals would storm the field in protest.

“There was talk of the tour being abandoned, but they continued.

“Jardine continued with the bodyline, because it was within the rules of the day.”

Rare footage shows more than just lethal bowling

The footage has been released to mark the 90th anniversary of the infamous series.

Mr Wray said the clips were unique, and that he did not believe they had been seen since the 30s.

They are also notable in showing Bradman bowling and Larwood batting, both rare sights.

“I can’t find any other vision of Bradman bowling, and I haven’t heard it spoken about before.

“Also, we have footage from the Fifth Test, which was Larwood’s last Test match — he broke his foot in the course of that game and never played for England again, and he scored 98 batting, so it’s a bit of a role reversal [with Bradman].”

In the pre-television era, Mr Wray said the footage would originally only have been played in cinemas, as part of newsreels.

Bodyline ‘part of our national story’

The English won that Ashes Test series 4-1, which makes it one of their strongest Test performances in history.

Bodyline had proved effective.

Bradman finished the Test with a batting average of 56.57, compared to his career average of 99.94.

The tactic continued to be used by Jardine for another two Ashes series, and the West Indian team also adopted it, but its days were numbered.

Eventually, the rules were adjusted to prohibit the practice.

“You could just see that it was becoming a tit-for-tat type exercise and something had to be done, so they introduced some laws that made the umpires responsible, that if there was intimidatory bowling they could step in and stop it.”

He said the infamous series was now an iconic episode in cricketing history, and part of the Australian psyche.

“It’s part of our national story,” he said.

“If someone says ‘bodyline’ you know automatically that you’re talking about something that’s somewhat unsportsmanlike and beyond the pale, so to speak.”