Larwood the chucker?

[Lillian Thomson]

Legend has it that when Les Ames saw first this footage almost 40 years after the Bodyline Series he nearly fell off his chair.

To chuck or not to chuck?

 

[Goughy]

Legend has it that when Les Ames saw first this footage almost 40 years after the Bodyline Series he nearly fell off his chair.

To chuck or not to chuck?

? There is nothing slightly dubious there.

Ive seen that footage and a fair bit of the rare clips that are left of Larwood and never once did it come to mind that there might be an issue.

 

[Manee]

Legend has it that when Les Ames saw first this footage almost 40 years after the Bodyline Series he nearly fell off his chair.

To chuck or not to chuck?

Mcgrath, Lillee, Imran to name a few were found in a study about half a decade ago to of had bends like that. Obviously the camera view we see on TV does not exaggerate it like that but I would not be surprised if the 'chuck' was to the same extent.

Chucking can provide very steep bounce (having seen one bowl bouncers off a length at about 63mph), could it be the reason that he was adjudged to be so quick?

 

[silentstriker]

Seems to be a bit of hyperextension - I don't see any chucking.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I don't really pretend to know anything about fast bowling and fast bowling actions, but that seems a bit dodgy to me.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I think archie posted something on here about a performance Bradman used to give when doing after-dinner speaking in the 60s. He'd show the crowd film of a left-handed bowler and, almost to a man, they agreed there was a distinct kink in the bowler's elbow. As you've probably already guessed it was actually reversed film of Larwood in action.

I've thought it before when I've seen some clips of Lol, in all honesty, but the one there actually looks fine to me.

EDIT: archie's original post.

 

[Manee]

I think archie posted something on here about a performance Bradman used to give when doing after-dinner speaking in the 60s. He'd show the crowd film of a left-handed bowler and, almost to a man, they agreed there was a distinct kink in the bowler's elbow. As you've probably already guessed it was actually reversed film of Larwood in action

Lol, who knew that Bradman was such a genius

With more and more great fast bowlers being revealed to chuck it a bit to get the extra yard of pace, it makes me wish I could throw with my left hand. Unfortunately, I can only throw with the right hand.

 

[archie mac]

On some old footage Lindwall also seems to have a slightly bent arm, but at the height of the chucking debate in the late 50s early 60s he was thought to have one of the most pure actions

 

[Son Of Coco]

It's interesting to see how close the keeper is standing up...how fast was Larwood supposed to be does anyone know?

 

[archie mac]

It's interesting to see how close the keeper is standing up...how fast was Larwood supposed to be does anyone know?

I think he once said that he was measured at 100mph

 

[Son Of Coco]

I think he once said that he was measured at 100mph

on an abacus?

 

[Richard]

I think he once said that he was measured at 100mph

No-one'll ever know, there was no timing technology.

It's fairly safe, though, in my mind, to guess that bowlers had the same tools to bowl at the same speeds in the 1930s that they do today.

(Sorry - I have said this before and don't want to be going over the same old stuff... )

 

[Richard]

Legend has it that when Les Ames saw first this footage almost 40 years after the Bodyline Series he nearly fell off his chair.

To chuck or not to chuck?

As many people have noted, it's possible to discover vaguaries in any bowling-action if you look closely enough. In October 2004, we found-out why this is: there are vaguaries in every bowler's action. Some are more superficially apparent than others' - that particular piece of film makes that one Larwood ball look very suspicious, and you could do this for absolutely any bowler in history.

Fact of the matter is, the human eye is a poor judge of the matter. In those days, we'll never truly know, and can only wildly speculate - and in doing so risk throwing mud into places where it is absurdly unnecessary to throw it.

 

[JBH001]

I did not see anything wrong in that action at all.

Actually I thought it quote fluid and lovely. Of course it is at the wrong action to judge.

On some old footage Lindwall also seems to have a slightly bent arm, but at the height of the chucking debate in the late 50s early 60s he was thought to have one of the most pure actions

But did not Lindwall model his action on Larwoods?
And one reason, I think, he did bowl slightly round arm was that he did not have the same wiry muscular strength as Larwood to deliver the ball in the same way that Larwood did.

I think archie posted something on here about a performance Bradman used to give when doing after-dinner speaking in the 60s. He'd show the crowd film of a left-handed bowler and, almost to a man, they agreed there was a distinct kink in the bowler's elbow. As you've probably already guessed it was actually reversed film of Larwood in action.

Also, jeez, that was unworthy of Bradman. Talk about being a sore loser!
Get over it already, Don.

lol!

 

[Richard]

It seems, to me, most out-of-character for Bradman, actually. It's almost mischevious, in its own way - something you'd never, ever associate with him normally.

 

[silentstriker]

I think he once said that he was measured at 100mph

If you ask me, I'll reveal that I bowl at 100mph too.

 

[Son Of Coco]

If you ask me, I'll reveal that I bowl at 100mph too.

 

[neville cardus]

On some old footage Lindwall also seems to have a slightly bent arm, but at the height of the chucking debate in the late 50s early 60s he was thought to have one of the most pure actions

Not least of all by himself: "I'm the last of the straight-arm bowlers."

 

[neville cardus]

Legend has it that when Les Ames saw first this footage almost 40 years after the Bodyline Series he nearly fell off his chair.

Not legend; it really did happen -- in 1977, to be precise. According to Frithy (who viewed the footage with Ames), he cried out, "Well, I never!"

When Donald Trelford saw it, he took his suspicions to print -- only to be swept aside by a veritable tidal wave of chagrin. When he asked Bob Wyatt for his view, the old cricketer replied, in a manner so careful that it might well have been rehearsed, "I have no reason to believe that he was [a chucker], but he was very fast."

Larwood's action was never questioned during his playing days. "Chucking," reckons John Woodcock, "wasn't a subject in players' minds at that time".

 

[Richard]

Not least of all by himself: "I'm the last of the straight-arm bowlers."

The same, was it not, was said about Alec Bedser in the '40s? Or maybe the early '50s.