Ashes Heroes No 36: Ray Lindwall

Moving on in our countdown of 50 Ashes Heroes, we get to an Australia fast bowler who was part of Bradman's Invincibles in 1948 and formed half of one of the finest new-ball pairings ever to grace the Ashes contest.

The England v India Test at Lord's in 1996, the first I attended after leaving school, has all sorts of historical resonances for me: Dickie Bird's final Test as umpire, Sourav Ganguly's hundred on debut, Rahul Dravid's almost-as-impressive debut. But I also remember it for the public address announcement that someone called Ray Lindwall had died and the sombre mood this cast over the older members of the crowd.

Later on, I find out why. England's pace attack in that Test was Chris Lewis, Dominic Cork, Alan Mullally and Peter Martin. No wonder those with longer memories compared Lindwall's majesty with the quicks on display that day and grieved for the days when fast bowlers were glamorous and deadly.

John Woodock, the Times cricket correspondent for four decades, told me once that Lindwall was "a gorgeous sight", as good as any of the quick bowlers in the 1980s, the Marshalls, Imrans, Hadlees and Holdings. Don Bradman named Lindwall in his all-time Dream XI. The Wisden obituary for the New South Wales quick simply called him "the man who established fast bowling's role in the modern game".

Inspired as a child, apparently, by watching Harold Larwood's aggressive bowling for England on the 1932-33 Bodyline tour, Lindwall resolved to become a pace bowler himself, even though his teacher at club level was Bill O'Reilly, the great Aussie leg spinner. His action was smooth and text-book, his outswinger and yorker were deadly. His bouncer was intimidating, yet used judiciously. As Wisden reported, "the mere possibility of it [his bouncer] made batsmen uneasy". The Almanack goes on to point out that despite the potency of this form of bowling, some 40 per cent of his 228 Test victims were bowled.

Lindwall's Test debut was delayed by war, but in 1946 he struck up his potent new-ball partnership with Keith Miller. Their first Test together was rather lop-sided: Miller took seven for 60 and Lindwall, suffering from chickenpox, went wicketless as England were rolled over by an innings in Brisbane. After that, Lindwall began to hold his own. In the third Test, Lindwall won the wickets tally 3-2 but it was his maiden Test hundred, batting at No 9, that ensured that Australia took a draw from the match. Lindwall took six wickets at Adelaide and nine at Sydney as the home side won the series 3-0.

Coming into the 1948 Ashes tour to England, there were rumblings about the legality of Lindwall's action as an injured tendon in his right leg meant that it tended to drag. Bradman, captaining the side for the final time, assured his bowler of his support and, with the assistance of the team masseur, Lindwall worked on removing any doubt about the legitimacy of his bowling.

A groin strain affected him in the first Test of that series, but in the second he took eight wickets and caused Len Hutton such trouble that the former England captain was dropped for the third Test. That match, at Old Trafford, was an ill-tempered occasion. A bouncer from Lindwall cut Denis Compton over the eye, although he went on to make 145, and when Lindwall came out to bat for Australia at 172 for six, England were bent on revenge. Lindwall received five consecutive bouncers, one of which hit him, but he made 23 as Australia avoided the follow-on. The match was drawn.

On to Leeds, where Hutton returned and was again dismissed by Lindwall. The Australian took two wickets in each innings and made 77 with the bat, although he didn't get a chance to bat in the second innings as Australia chased 404 to win with the loss of only three wickets. In the final Test, at the Oval, Lindwall took six for 20 as England were dismissed for only 54. If he hadn't bowled so well, Australia may have needed a second innings to win the Test and Bradman may have got the runs he needed to average 100.

The 1948 series was Lindwall's finest hour, although he played Test cricket for another 12 years, until he was 38. The 1953 Ashes series was a particular highlight, in which he took 26 wickets at an average of 19, including three five-fors. As he got older, he became cannier, using the slower ball and the inswinger more often. But Australia were not at their strongest in the early 1950s and Lindwall tasted little success. In fact, his biggest achievement in the 1954 Ashes series was to show Frank Tyson, the young England tyro, how to bowl the bouncer, which Tyson used back against Australia with such effect.

Lindwall was said to never actually like bowling, much preferring the glory that came with batting, but although he scored a second Test century, against West Indies, and had an average of 21, he rarely batted higher than No 7 and was generally put at No 9.

Lindwall could have chosen any sport. He played rugby league to a high standard and ran 100 yards in 10.6 seconds. In retirement he ran a florists in Brisbane with his wife, Peggy. Like Larwood, who owned a sweet shop after the Bodyline series, it was a gentle change of career for someone who had been so feared.

Comments

[geoff from Melbourne]

As an Australian, I am embarassed to say that in all the footage I have seen of Lindwall's action, it always looked suspect at the point of delivery.

Interesting to read about the tendon problem, I have not previously seen any mention of it.

[David Wijekoon-Perera]

The more I read this series, the more I am begining to fear for one or two names yet to make the list and whether their worth will be appreciated.
In the Victor Trumper feature mention was made of his batting average. Yet Jack Fingleton in his biography of Trumper highlights how the man never thought about averages. Also, Trumper;s funeral was followed by thousands paying him tribute.
Lindwall from memory in his own book Flying Stumps said how he would wait until he knew Bill O'Reilly was walking down the street and try to impress with his bowling.
Botham helped England win one Ashes series. But there are a couple of others who have done far more. Their names have yet to be mentioned, and I am not about to here show my preference, but I fear, as I have done since O'Reilly was an early listing, that great names and their roles will be overlooked for lesser players.
Clarrie Grimmett, the man who invented the flipper, would he be in the 50? There are a couple of captains as well who might not be on this list either.

[SouthernWaratah]

Lindwall - Legend