Bodyline cables

Due to restrictions on commercial radio in the United Kingdom in the 1930s, radio stations were established on the continent to beam programs directly to the United Kingdom. The main station was situated in Paris. One of its advertisers was the Gillette Safety Razor Co. which sponsored reporting of the controversial 1932-33 cricket series played between Australia and England in Australia. These were the days before live radio and television broadcasts of international sporting events. Each day a reporter cabled very brief descriptions of play to Paris where they were transformed into full scripts which were then broadcast to the United Kingdom.

Transcript: Cables concerning the 'Bodyline' cricket series

December 30th.1932 1st day Broadcasting
Melbournecg152/149 30 1610

Fine warm 50000 before toss wicket good larwood voce fastest making ball fly adopted leg theory attack virulent batsmen ultra cautious 42 prelunch record low scoring batsmen frequently hit by ball only one four ingleton stubbornest woodfull just settling when bowled off pads larwood twice burst boots faulty ball replaced after two overs post lunch fingleton caught wyatt noball 27 lunch score 1/42 slowest record obrien outrun hesitating call by fingleton bradman crudest stroke first ball bowes wild pull missed crowd bitterly disappointed england decided advantage 3/67 poor result perfect wicket fingleton 50 141 minutes grand defence riskless wearing down attack fielding admirable nothing given away fingleton mccabe 50/52 minutes scoring rate steadily increasing as attack lost virility partnership firmly established tea fingleton 67 mccabe 24 3/120 fingleton 67 woodfull allen ten 1/29 obrien outrun ten 2/67 bradman bowes nil 3/67 mccabe 24 extras nine 3/120 tea +
Ln ps ord 22 Melbournecg 81/79 30 1704
Posted eleven added mccabe easily slip jardine partnership 64/76 minutes voce injured righthand fielding unserious larwood resumed scoring slow hard toiling weather warming hundreds fainted in dense throng contest always interesting bowlers making batsmen

1st day Broadcasting (con.)

earn every run none capable forcing scoring continually on defensive bowlers varied leg off theory repeatedly splendid exhibition offensive bowling crowd keenly appreciated desperate fight fingletons pluck unwavering larwood altogether offfield 60 minutes 150 223 minutes five oclock 4/151 fingleton 79 richardson ten +
ps 24 Melbournecg 44 30 1745
fingleton clean bowled 234 minutes 3/4 dogged defence courage took innumerable blows distinct triumph english attack hold australia leading batsmen completely bowling tired but win loose batsmen no liberties attendance 63993 worlds record receipts L 5577 richardson only aggressive 30/70 minutes 4/4
fingleton allen 83 5/165 mccabe jardine voce 32 4/131 richardson hammond voce 34 6/188 grimmett sutcliffe voce two 7/194 oldfield 13 extras 10 7 for 194 bowling overs maidens runs wickets larwood 17 1 35 nil voce 17 3 39 three allen 17 3 41 two hammond 9 3 19 nil bowes 19 2 50 one stumps five 55 +

January 2nd, 1933. 3rd day Broadcasting.
2 mbcg ck to follow 2 1605

fine cool attendance tremendous prestart allen richardson oreilly 30 bowes four extras five 169 add bowling oreilly 24/3 63 17 5 grimmett 16 21 4 one innings soon over allen splendidly caught longon oreilly ovation fingleton woodfull opened jardine surprised beginning allen instead voce fourth ball snick shortstop fingleton caught jardine frequent changes field meet peculiarities batmen obrien bowled insignificant ball woodfull bradman full confidence sounder intense enthusiasm every stroke bowlers field keenest no leg theory lunch 2/65 postlunch great duel larwood bradman crowd silent partnership 51/55 minutes broken allen catching woodfull leg inswinger sudden change fortunes mccabe bowled good length 4/81 bowling accurate steady 100 117 minutes bradman 50/93 minutes batsmen gradually mastered attack losing no opportunities taking no risks 50 partnership 41 minutes then richardson leg hammond invaluable innings 2/4 bradman brilliant nought 150 154 minutes upholding one end best form fielding splendid wyatt brilliant game swing largely englands favor tea 7/163 with first innings

3rd. day Broadcasting (con.)

advantage australia 223 runs on fingleton ames allen one 1/1 woodfull allen larwood 26 3/78 obrien larwood eleven 2/27 bradman 77 mccabe allen nil 4/81 richardson leg hammond 32 5/135 oldfield voce six 6/150 grimmett voce nil 7/156 wall two extras eight 7/163 tea + 1/1 woodfull allen larwood 26 3/78 obrien larwood eleven 2/27 bradman 77 mccabe allen nil 4/81 richardson leg hammond 32 5/135 oldfield voce six 6/150 grimmett voce nil 7/156 wall two extras eight 7/163 tea + keenest interest only accurate bowling accountable collapse various partnerships began well but broken just looked dangerous extraordinary contest bradman 103 wall leg hammond three 8/184 oreilly ames hammond nil 9/186 ironmonger outrun nil extras nine 10/191 + larwood 15 two 50 two allen 12 one 44 two bowes 4 nil 20 nil voce 15 two 47 two hammond 10/5 two 21 3 attendance 68188 L 5790 intense enthusiasm bradman century 7/4 185 minutes sutcliffe 20 leyland two 0/22 idea replacing wyatt with leyland opening batsman was

3rd. day Broadcasting (con.)

unsettle attack with lefthander sutcliffe much improved saturdays play confident bowling steady fielding keen sutcliffe 33 leyland 10 0/43 wall three nil 15 nil oreilly six two ten nil ironmonger five three seven nil grimmett two nil eleven nil +

January 14th. 1933. 2nd. day Broadcasting.
22 adelaideoval 124 14 1525

scoring steady paynter 50 118 minutes 6/4 verity strong defence straight bat bowling accurate oreilly missed verity 16, second slip ironmonger paynter leghit four oreilly partnership 50/75 minutes verity becoming aggressive squarecut four paynter 2/4 grimmett 300 370 minutes lunch 7/315 paynter 72 verity 35 post lunch runs slowly paynter caught leg pulling rising ball 185 minutes 9/4 partnership 96 133 minutes verity caught square leg innings closed 3/12 cool fine perfect 40000 start paynter fingleton wall 77 8/324 verity richardson wall 45 voce wall eight larwood three extras 15 total 341 wall 34/1 10 72 five oreilly 50 19 82 two ironmonger 20 six 50 one grimmett 28 six 94 two mccabe 14 three 28 nil oreilly four noballs wall three + fingleton woodfull opened bowling larwood allen fingleton bad stroke caught short stop sensation larwood off field struck woodfull over heart second over crowd hooted third over larwood six men onside bradman shortleg allen + mccabe off handle caught shortleg voce three men close in leg bowling leg theory woodfull constant pain rubbing breast

2nd. day Broadcasting (con.)

ord 25 adelaideoval 14 14 1554

fingleton ames allen nil 1/1 woodfull 10 bradman allen larwood eight 2/18 +
woodfull 16 mccabe jardine larwood eight 3/34 ponsford one sundries three 3/36 + woodfull bowled off stump 89 minutes plucky display after painful injury game definitely englands favour ponsford richardson steady opposition + woodfull allen 22 4/51 ponsford 20 richardson 7 extras five 4/70 + ponsford 38 richardson 19 extras five 4/100 voce left field 4/45 recurrence leg injury brown fielding 100 up in 142 minutes + ponsford 45 richardson 21 4/109 allen 2/37 hammond 0/15 +

Jan. 16, 1933. 3rd day Broadcasting

ord5 adelaideoval 87 16 1335
fine warmer perfect 25000 start runs slowly larwood allen bowling feeling bitter woodfull declining warners sympathy saturday replying not discuss one side unplaying cricket ruining game time decent men get out game richardson onplayed allen shattered australian hopes ponsford 50 122 inutes bowling frequently changed batsmen cautious scoring slow field well placed but runs steadily partnership ponsford oldfield added 50/56 minutes lunch still together great enthusiasm crowd applauded loudly as players came in ponsford 80 richardson allen 28 5/131 oldfield 26 extras 13 5/185 lunch + post lunch voce hammond bowled nip added ponsford glancing bowled 216 mintues 8/4 invaluable warner officially states woodfull expressed regret today saturdays incident now closed all best friends paynter injured ankle left field badly sprained ponsford voce 85 6/194 oldfield 37 grimmett voce allen 14 7/212 sundries 14 7/212 three oclock +
oldfield retired hurt 41 wall hammond six 9/222 oreilly larwood nil 8/222 ironmonger nil total 222 when 41 oldfield struck head ball larwood staggered fell crowd hooting field crowded round after five minutes oldfield supported by woodfull walked off holding towel to head play resumed crowd still hooting paynters injury

3rd day broadcasting (con.)

unserious returned field cheered oreilly swishing clean bowled wall clean bowled innings closed half past three + bowling larwood 25 six 55 three allen 23 four 71 four hammond 12/4 30 one voce 14 five 21 one verity 16 seven 31 nil + correct grimmett ten oldfield not resuming richardson keeping england second at 3/50 warners statement alleged unendorsed woodfull officials uncomment sutcliffe four jardine nil 0/4 four oclock +
Jardine 12 sutcliffe obrien wall seven 1/7 wyatt 29 1/50 oldfield sent home ambulance 50/56 minutes obrien substitute magnificent running catch deep leg sutcliffe order changed wyatt next obrien cheered uproariously noble evening press writes heading preventable brutality declares jardine responsible vicious methods introduced incidents 14 wyatt 36 extras five 1/62 scoring slowest riskless 11/25 minutes crowd silent quarter past five + jardine 18 in 106 minutes wyatt 42 in 90 minutes extras seven 1/74 at 5/40 scoring monotonous 22/50 minutes batsmen blocking consistently crowd watching silent bowling frequently changed unavailingly +