Cricket Authours

[the big bambino]

Frustratingly I can't recall either the Mant book or the Fingleton passage about Bradman with any great clarity. I know I read excerpts of the Mant book at the Dickson public library. If I'm nearby I might see if its still there - long odds against though.

I can't even recall where I was when I read the Fingleton passage about Bradman. I believe the invitation came from a military outpost in Aden. Would the 1948 tourists have docked there? I've googled and apparently it was a regional protectorate of Britain until the 1960s. The name now refers to the port city alone. So it seems possible.

I've just read another Bradman - Fingleton anecdote. Apparently the latter had his bat blessed by a priest before an innings. It didn't really work and as the dismissed batsmen was passed by Bradman on the way to the crease he said to Fingleton lets see what a dry bat can do out there. No love lost alright.

Fingleton did blame Bradman for his non selection in 34 but was Bradman even a selector? Besides the side was strong in batting so Fingleton's absence shouldn't be seen as conspiratorial. Perhaps Fingleton was always thinking the worst of Bradman from the time he was suspected of leaking Woodfull's rebuke of Warner when he believed he was taking the fall for Bradman.

Sorry I can't be more helpful but I'm talking about items read more than a decade ago. None of which colours my opinion of Fingleton's writings which are gems of the game's literature.

 

[Midwinter]

Doesn't the Fingleton - Bradman animosity go back to 32/33 and who was suspected of letting the papers know about Pelham Warner's visit to the Australian dressing room and his exchange with Woodfull when Woodful said about only one team is playing cricket.

Fingleton as a journalist was an obvious suspect but he obviously thought Bradman tipped someone off.
Missing the 34 tour would not have helped.

 

[archie mac]

It turns out that it was Bradman who tipped the press off about the Woodfull exchange. So Fingleton had every right to be indignant

 

[the big bambino]

Was that a recent revelation Archie, and who mentioned it?

 

[Red]

If it happened nowadays someone'd be live tweeting it.

 

[fredfertang]

David Frith's "Bodyline Autopsy" is as authoritative an account of Bodyline as you'll get and he doesn't seem totally convinced - Fingo first accused Bradman in 1978 in his biography of Vic Trumper, but Bradman always denied it and blamed Fingo. The journo who got the story was Claude Corbett, who worked on the same paper Bradman was contracted to and he kept things to himself whilst he was alive - his daughter told Frith after his death that he'd told her the story came from Bradman, but as I say I don't get the impression Frith was sure

 

[archie mac]

As Fred said it was in Bodyline Autopsy but also there was a Bodyline special on ABC and I had the impression from the show that Frith believed it was Bradman