Constantine's Bouncers at Jardine — Old Trafford, 1933

Bodyline had ended in February. The MCC had condemned 'direct attack' bowling. West Indies' selectors, watching that controversy, decided to test how England — and Jardine — would react when the same tactic came back.

West Indies, on their second tour of England, had a fast attack of Constantine and Martindale and a captain — Jackie Grant — willing to use it. With England's Bodyline still raw in public memory, Grant set a leg-side field and unleashed short bowling at Hammond, Walters and finally Jardine.

Hammond was struck on the chin and retired hurt. Walters, leading off, was caught hooking. Jardine came in at 134 for 3, took blow after blow on the body — Wisden noted bruising 'from shoulder to thigh' — and refused to flinch. He played mostly off the back foot, hooking sparingly and surviving several short-pitched overs that drew gasps from the Manchester crowd. He reached his hundred in 305 minutes and went on to 127, by some distance the slowest and most stoic Test century of his career.

West Indies made 375 and 225, England 374 and 130 for 4. The match was drawn but the cricketing point had been made: leg-theory bouncing at high pace was painful, dangerous and broadly unpopular regardless of who delivered it.

“He took it like a man.”

The MCC accelerated discussions on the law that became the 1935 'direct attack' rule. Constantine, already a Lancashire League professional, kept Test cricket only sparingly; Jardine never captained England in another home Test, retiring from international cricket the following year.