Berliner Tageszeitung - Three classic Ashes controversies

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Three classic Ashes controversies

SPORTS 02.07.2023

Three classic Ashes controversies / Photo: © AFP

Jonny Bairstow's controversial dismissal in the second Test between England and Australia sparked Ashes fury at Lord's on Sunday.

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AFP Sport looks at three other classic Ashes controversies:

Bodyline

One of the first great Ashes scandals occurred in the 1932-33 series when England controversially used a tactic that became known as bodyline bowling.

England captain Douglas Jardine told his fast bowlers to bowl at the body of Australian batters in the hope of intimidating them into giving catches to the close fielders.

Largely designed to stop Australia's legendary batsman Don Bradman, the tactic worked well.

Bradman's series average of 56.57 was the worst of his career, but it soured relations between England and Australia.

Australia captain Bill Woodfull said: "There are two teams out there; one is trying to play cricket and the other is not".

The laws of cricket were eventually changed to restrict the effectiveness of bodyline bowling.

Lillee's aluminium bat

Former Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee went out to bat during an Ashes Test in Perth in 1979 with an aluminium bat manufactured by a friend's company.

There were no rules against using an aluminium bat but England captain Mike Brearley complained to the umpires, claiming it was damaging the ball.

The umpires told Lillee he had to change his bat but he refused.

Australian captain Greg Chappell was forced to come out onto the pitch to plead with Lillee to use a normal wooden bat.

Lillee famously threw his aluminium bat across the pitch in disgust after being convinced to stop using it.

Broad refuses to walk

England pace bowler Stuart Broad has often been an Ashes villain in Australian eyes and the 2013 series was the catalyst for that image.

Broad stood his ground after clearly edging a ball from Ashton Agar to slip, with umpire Aleem Dar giving him not out.

Australia had used up all of their reviews at the time and Broad went on to share a crucial partnership with Ian Bell as England won the first Test.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann was furious, calling the incident "blatant cheating".

"I hope the Australian public give it to him this summer and I hope he cries and goes home," he said.

A defiant Broad shot back: "I never once thought 'I'm gonna walk off here'.

"I've never walked in cricket. I don't see why I would and in that series 22 different players nicked the ball and didn't walk."

I. Johansson--BTZ

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