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GREAT ASHES SERIES
This moment can be considered as the lowest point in Anglo-
Australian relations.
The Bodyline series, more formally known as the 1932-
33 Ashes, is famed beyond what happened on the field. It
represents a significant spurt in the growth of Australian
nationhood. The timing of the series in a cultural-historical
sense demonstrates, yet again, that sport is more than men
hitting balls around fields.
With the 2015-16 Ashes already underway, Touchline looks
back at a series so turbo-charged with emotion that it
changed the sport forever.
The early 1930s was a period when Australia was still in the
process of understanding itself as a nation independent of
Britain. Many in the crowds during that series were born
before Australia’s federation and independence from Britain
in 1901. Some would have fought in the First World War,
which in turn helped forge some sense of independence. But
still in the thirties, Australia had a deep sense of inferiority
towards the mother country: a deep love, yet a feeling that
what would later be described as cultural cringe.
Many Australians of the day had parents who had emigrated
in the past decades, which further tangled the national
consciousness. So in a way, sport helped to untangle
Australia’s identity. Putting on a hat and deploying in a direct
adversarial opposition to the English made everything much
clearer.
Once the game got heated, that conceptual divide became
even more salient. Australia could better understand itself
as a singular entity once it was conceptually at war with
England.
The situation was built for conflict along national lines.
The English captain, Douglas Jardine, personified British
uppitiness. A true blueblood, his cold demeanour was
interpreted as a condescending disregard for the colonials.
Whether this was an inferiority complex projected onto
Jardine or a true reflection of his opinion it is hard to know.
What we do know about Jardine is that he had a healthy
respect for the Australian team, and in particular, Donald
Bradman. And so he should have. In the 1930 series, playing
in an unfancied side, Bradman scored 131, 254, 334 and 232,
helping Australia to a 2-1 win.
During those tests, players caught onto the fact that
I t wa s J a n u a r y 1 9 3 3 . A n a l r e a d y r e s t i v e c r owd e r u p t e d a t t h e A d e l a i d e O v a l wh e n a s h o r t b a l l
f r om E n g l i s h p a c ema n Ha r o l d L a r wo o d r e a r e d a n d s t r u c k A u s t r a l i a n w i c k e t k e e p e r B e r t O l d f i e l d
i n t h e h e a d .
T h e p l a y e r h i t t h e g r o u n d , i n j u r e d w i t h wh a t wa s l a t e r r e v e a l e d t o b e a f r a c t u r e d s k u l l . Mo u n t e d
p o l i c e we r e c a l l e d i n t o p r e v e n t wh a t c o u l d we l l d e v e l o p i n t o a f u l l b l own r i o t . T h e E n g l i s h
p l a y e r s n e r v o u s l y c o n s i d e r e d t h e i r o p t i o n s , s ome e y e i n g t h e s t ump s a s ma k e s h i f t c l u b s .
BY TIMOTHY MOTTRAM
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TOUCHLINE
ISSUE 21 | AUGUST 2015