page_title: Bill Woodfull
section_title: Bodyline
hierarchical_section_title: Bill Woodfull / Captaincy / Bodyline
caption_attribution_description: Image of Bill Woodfull and Vic Richardson walking out to open the batting in the final Bodyline Test. From the State Library of NSW, accessed at: [1] [2]. Public Domain.
context_page_description: William Maldon Woodfull OBE was an Australian cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s. He captained both Victoria and Australia, and was best known for his dignified and moral conduct during the tumultuous bodyline series in 1932–33. Trained as a schoolteacher, Woodfull was known for his benevolent attitude towards his players, and his patience and defensive technique as an opening batsman. Woodfull was not a flamboyant player, but was known for his calm, unruffled style and his reliability in difficult situations. His opening pairing with fellow Victorian Bill Ponsford for both his state and Australia remains one of the most successful in history. While not known for his tactical skills, Woodfull was widely admired by his players and observers for his sportsmanship and ability to mould a successful and loyal team through the strength of his character.
  Woodfull started playing cricket from a young age without distinction. He made his professional debut in Melbourne's district competition staying until the age of 19. He made his first-class debut for Victoria at the age of 24 late in 1921–22.
context_section_description: In 1932–33, the English team led by Douglas Jardine toured Australia and won the Ashes in a very acrimonious series. It has been described as the most controversial period in Australian cricket history, and voted the most important Australian moment by a panel of Australian cricket identities.
  England's bodyline tactics, which involved bowling at speeds of around 150 km/h at the heads and torsoes of the Australian batsmen—including Woodfull—and employing a close leg-side cordon to catch balls fended away from the upper body, caused great controversy and ill-feeling among Australian players and crowds. England devised the tactics in an attempt to curb Donald Bradman, Australia's star batsman, whose average hovered around 100, around twice that of all other world-class batsman. However, they also hoped to restrict the other batsmen, Woodfull among them, through such means.
  During the season, Woodfull's physical courage, stoic and dignified leadership won him many admirers. He refused to employ retaliatory tactics and did not publicly complain even though he and his men were repeatedly hit— according to Ken Piesse, 34 times in all. Once the issue was resolved, and practice stopped, Woodfull refused to discuss the matter, fearing that it would disturb the peace.
  Woodfull started the season strongly, scoring 74 and 83 in a loss to New South Wales in the second match of the summer, but was soon confronted by Jardine's Englishmen. He made five and 25 as England crushed Victoria by an innings. Although England did aim at the batsmen's body, they did not enforce the second half of the Bodyline structure, by not packing the leg side. This changed in the next match, when Woodfull led an Australian XI against the tourists in Melbourne, in what was effectively a Test rehearsal. With Jardine rested from the match, his deputy Bob Wyatt used the full Bodyline tactics for the first time. The match was drawn and Woodfull struggled, making 18 and a duck. Utilising his hopping technique and attempting to play unorthodox shots resembling overhead tennis smashes, Bradman failed to make an impact, and England were buoyed ahead of the Tests.
  Australia lost heavily by ten wickets in the first Test at Sydney, when the bodyline spearhead, Harold Larwood, took ten wickets, while Woodfull managed only seven and a duck. Before the second Test in Melbourne, Woodfull had to wait until minutes before the game before he was confirmed as captain by the selectors. This caused the toss to be delayed and fomented speculation that the Australian Board of Control were considering the possibility of removing Woodfull because of his absolute refusal to allow his bowlers to use retaliatory tactics. His deputy Victor Richardson had advocated retaliation along with several other players. Richardson recalled Woodfull's private response:
  There is no way I will be influenced to adopt such tactics which bring such discredit to the game. I know Tim could do it but I am not going to participate in actions that can only hurt the game.
  Although Woodfull led Australia to a dramatic victory by 111 runs, his form was a problem as he managed only 10 and 26; he was also hit by the bowling. The bodyline controversy reached its peak during the second day of the third Test. An all-time record Adelaide Oval crowd of 50,962 watched Australia finish off England's first innings for 341. Then, Woodfull opened Australia's batting with Jack Fingleton, who was dismissed straight away for a duck. Minutes later Larwood, bowling to a conventional field setting, struck Woodfull an agonising blow under his heart with a short, lifting delivery. As Woodfull bent down over his bat in pain for several minutes, an image that became one of the defining symbols of the series, the huge crowd began jeering, hooting and verbally abusing the English team, something that was almost unheard of for the social standards of the era. Jardine reacted by saying "Well bowled, Harold".
  When play resumed, England's Gubby Allen bowled an entire over to Bradman. As Larwood prepared to bowl his next over to Woodfull, 
caption: Woodfull (left) walks out to open the batting with Vic Richardson in the final Bodyline Test.
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