'Close of Play'

Don Bradman. A fascinating collection of correspondence between Bradman and Christopher Martin-Jenkins, then editor of ‘The Cricketer’ magazine relating to short-pitch bowling. The first letter is a response to an editorial in the October 1984 issue of ‘The Cricketer’, written by Christopher Martin-Jenkins, in which the subject of intimidatory short pitched bowling was raised, including the possible introduction of measures such as increasing the length of the pitch, painting a line on the pitch, restricting the bowler’s run up to ten yards, or a change in the law such that a batsman is not out caught if the ball had struck the glove or bat handle. Bradman responds to these ideas in a single page typed letter dated 3rd October 1984 to Martin-Jenkins, having read the article ‘with interest... and astonishment’. Bradman acknowledges the need to remove ‘intimidation as a tactic’ but lays the blame with umpires ‘unwilling to exercise a moral judgement’. His view on the abolition of batsmen being out off the glove ‘is an illogical and stupid way of trying to solve [the issue]’, and that the idea of lengthening the pitch ‘would be equally absurd, penalising batsmen of all types’. Bradman concludes by questioning whether the LBW law is adequate for spinners. ‘Don’t support remedies which don’t make sense... I believe you are on the wrong track’. Signed ‘Don’. In Martin-Jenkins’ typed copy reply, dated 11th October 1984, he quotes statistical evidence supporting the concept of lengthening the pitch in proportion to the growing height of bowlers over time and increased speed through ‘modern nutrition and physical training methods’. Bradman replies on the 30th October with a lengthy three page typed letter reiterating his views in strong terms on ‘the foolishness of the “not out caught” idea’ and that lengthening the pitch would be unfair to slow and medium paced bowlers. He uses colourful language such as ‘utter fallacy’, ‘arrant rubbish’, and is ‘totally unmoved by your argument’, refuting the view that modern bowlers are ‘fitter, stronger and faster’ and provides lengthy anecdotal evidence. He closes with a request that his views are not to be published but is happy for this letter to be shown to Jim Swanton ‘and would be interested to know his re-action’. Signed ‘Don’. In Martin-Jenkins’ reply of 8th November he acknowledges that the change to catches off the glove ‘would not be a good thing’, but does not accept all of Bradman’s arguments about fast bowlers, and further supports the introduction of a line across the pitch. On 28th November Bradman suggests the introduction into Test matches of a wide off a short ball, as was already the case in limited over cricket, but suggests that the ‘stumbling block would be the West Indies... because they would regard “anything” as a move to blunt their fire power. Signed ‘Don’. Later correspondence in 1992 relates to Bradman’s agreement to the ‘return to the back foot for judging a no-ball’, and readdresses the subject of lengthening the distance between the two creases, and the supposed increase of the average height of players over time. He provides interesting evidence from a book written by W.G. Grace in 1891 in which Grace quoted the height and weight of players of his era, and lists numerous players over six foot in height, including Grace himself who was 6’ at the age of sixteen. Signed ‘Don Bradman’. Finally, Martin-Jenkins responds on 23rd June 1992 by thanking Bradman for his trouble, but that this ‘has not altered my view that it would be desirable to at least experiment with some matches played by first-class cricketers with the stumps set a foot further back at either end and with the old back foot [no-ball] law in operation’. A fascinating insight into Bradman’s opinions on the modern game. Good condition.