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Bodyline. Seventy years on, it remains cricket's most emotive word, conjuring up flickering images of a far-off encounter, the 1932-33 Ashes Test series. It was a tactic dreamed up by an England captain desperate to contain the batting phenomenon of that (or any other) era - Don Bradman.
Bradman had scored runs at will in England in 1930 - a record 974 of them in the Tests. Eventually he retired with an unapproached Test batting average of 99.94 - the next-best is just under 61. Against the controversial Bodyline attack that average was suppressed to 56 - and England were happy with that.
Bodyline needed fast, accurate bowlers, sending down rapid bouncers, supported by a packed leg-side field. Just about all the batsman could do was duck, or hook (dangerous, with all those fielders lurking), or let the ball hit him (even more dangerous, in those pre-helmet days). more![]("http://a1061.g.akamai.net/7/1061/3557/643559c5bf2765/www.wisden.com/images/bluearrow.gif")
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