In this episode of Bodyline, Jardine with Larwood and Bradman face off in the Ashes.
In their first encounter in Australia, the English draw first blood when Larwood traps Bradman Leg Before Wicket, causing him to be dropped for the second test. In the third test, Bradman finally emerges, scoring a century. The series ends with a resounding English victory. But back home in England, Jardine starts to fret about Bradman’s skill as a batsman and warns everyone that he could become a very dangerous opponent. But the cricketing establishment rubbishes his warnings.
Upper class England continues to frolic around in the Jazz Age, until The Great Depression hits. And to compound the malaise, the Australians return in 1930 to play the Ashes with a team built around Bradman. And as Bradman vivisects the English bowling attack while breaking a multitude of test batting records, the Australians shellack the England cricket team and regain the Ashes.
While everyone else despairs about Bradman just beginning his career and proving to be such an insurmountable threat already, Jardine sets out to find Bradman’s one weakness. He doesn’t know what it actually is, yet!
Lord Harris now starts to take Jardine seriously, and begins the political machinations that will grant Jardine the captaincy of the England cricket team. In order to be made Captain of England, Jardine must first captain a county cricket team. Harris forces Percy Fender to “abdicate” his captaincy of Surrey and make way for Jardine.
Tropes found here are
- Attack Its Weak Point: Jardine is certain Bradman has one. He intends to find it, and use it to neutralize Australia.
- Cassandra Truth: Jardine warns everyone about Bradman as a budding talent. His warnings are dismissed. Then in the 1930 ashes, Bradman breaks multiple batting records while taking England’s bowlers apart.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: England score 514 in the first test and bowl Australia out twice for less than 200. And Bradman is dismissed for a duck by Larwood.
- The Australians and Bradman return the favor in the 1930 Ashes.
