The Changing of the Guards

[fredfertang]

The Changing of the Guards

In the 1990s one cricketing superpower faded and another rose to take its place. In this feature Martin looks back at the two series that saw the baton passed.

[Monk]

Great article, and interesting comparison between Jardine and Waugh.

As an Englishman I cannot help but spot an interesting dichotomy here. Eighty years ago when Harold Larwood and Bill Voce bumped a few down at the Australians specialist batsmen, without breaching the laws of the game, the entire nation of Australia, with a few noble exceptions, whined so long and hard that the very future of Anglo-Australian relations were said to be strained. Sixty five years later another top-class pace bowler flung down a stream of bouncers at a couple of late-order batsmen, in clear contravention of the laws, and the Aussies just got into line, shrugged their shoulders and got on with the game - did the nation's psyche change in the interim? Or was it just the difference between winning and losing?

The psyche may have changed, but I think it's more to do with helmets (and other padding).

During the Bodyline series, there was a serious threat that someone could be killed. Nowadays, that's very unlikely.

[Viscount Tom]

Very good article nice work there.

[uvelocity]

good article. yes, it's because we won.