Beschreibung:

BERT OLDFIELD 1932-33, BODYLINE, Oldfield's Australian Test Cricketers baggy green cap for the bodyline series, green wool, Australian coat-of-arms worked in gold and silver wire and coloured silk, the series date below '1932-33', Farmers Sydney label inscribed in ink 'W.A.Oldfield' AN IMPORTANT PRIMARY OBJECT FROM THE INFAMOUS BODYLINE SERIES and one which symbolises perhaps more than any other the potentially disastrous near-rupture between Australia-England cricket relations. George Hele, one of the bodyline umpires, says in his book Bodyline Umpire that the third Test in Adelaide was 'contested in an atmosphere of electric hostility- at times, on the Saturday and Monday, of ill-concealed hate. Throughout it's course, a pall of sinister suspense and dread enveloped it. During it, Bodyline and it's purpose was unmasked.......it was on the afternoon of the second day, the Saturday, before that record Adelaide cricket ground, that this test match burst into flame'. Woodfull, the Australian captain, was hit over the heart by a short-pitched ball from Harold Larwood. The crowd directed their hostility at Jardine more than Larwood. The controversial style of bowling and field placing was specifically designed to suppress Bradman's free scoring. However, as used by the English fast bowlers Larwood and Voce, there was a real physical danger of serious injury to Australian batsmen who had no more protection than that offered by their baggy green caps. Larwood, in particular, was bowling at speeds in excess of 100mph. On the Monday following Woodfull's painful injury Australia was 6 for 194 when the popular Bert Oldfield joined C.Grimmett. The new ball was taken at 200 and was still new when Larwood delivered a ball to Oldfield in line with the stumps. Larwood himself described the incident in his book The Larwood Story,' The ball that hit Bertie Oldfield started everything off. It was most unfortunate....the last thing I would have wanted to do was hit him.....Bert swung at it going for a hook....when it hit him on the right side of the temple. I think the result would have been even worse if the peak of his cap had not broken the force of the ball. An X-ray revealed more than a black eye- he had suffered a linear fracture of the right frontal bone.' Oldfield suffered concussion and took no futher part in the series. Bert Oldfield (1894-1976) was one of cricket's great wicket keepers with style and polish. He enlisted in the AIF and was in the front line near Ypres when he was buried for several hours during the heavy bombardment of Polygon Wood 1917 in France. He was close to death when he was dug out. He played a leading role in the success of the first AIF team. His 56 tests were spread over four tours of England (1921,1926,1930,1934) and two to South Africa. He was awarded the MBE. Woodfull's Test cap from the same series was sold in these rooms, lot 452, 27 June 1999 for $23,000