The original Whispering Death

You are forgiven for not knowing that today is the birthday of one of the world's most fearsome and destructive bowlers - not Michael Holding - Harold Larwood. Larwood was not a big man (5' 8" and 11 stone) but was quick - seriously quick and frightened most batsmen, but he was also mean. He was mean in not allowing the batsman to score runs off him and he was particularly mean when they did - bowling for Larwood was a bloody affair - both giving and receiving. In the last Test at Sydney in the Ashes winning 'bodyline' series Larwood was bowled into the ground by his captain, Jardine, in an attempt to totally dominate and intimidate Bradman. When the day was over, Larwood, who was wearing new boots, was able to wring the blood out of his socks. Larwood never gave an inch nor expected any in return.

Larwood will always be associated with the bodyline Ashes series of 1932/2 in Australia. Larwood was the X-factor in Jardine's masterly plan to stop Bradman from scoring and the rules of the game were changed as a result. However it wasn't short bowling or even leg side bowling that was the plan - it was to bowl directly at Bradman's body that was the tactic that Jardine employed. This was after a review by Jardine of as much film of Bradman as he could find in attempt to find a weakness (the first video analysis?). It was the look in Braman's eyes after he had faced a short ball that Jardine saw - fear was evident even at long range on black and white grainy film - and the plan to stop Bradman was hatched.



Although Jardine employed other bowlers to bowl short and leg side it was only really Larwood who was able to bowl fast and accurate enough to cause Bradman real problems. Bradman scored less than 400 runs in eight inning in that series - well below his career average and Larwood got his man on four occasions. Larwood finished with 33 wickets in that series at an average of under 20 and economy of under 3. For that performance and dedication to his team and captain he was dropped and made a scapegoat by a weak MCC in the furore that followed England's 4-1 series win.

Cricket is dominated by stats - here are some stats that show the domination by one man:

- Larwood was consistently timed at over 95 mph and once at over 100 mph.
- 1,427 first class wickets (batman friendly pitches remember), 743 of which were bowled.
- 100 wickets in a season eight times and headed the first class average in five summers: no other bowler before or since has equalled this feat.
- He usually broke at least one if not two stumps in very match.
- Larwood's run up was so fast he had a drag of 32 inches after his final stride.

Happy Birthday Harold

PS If you would like to know more about this incredible cricketer - and man - then I can highly recommend Duncan Hamilton's biography.