Umpires should invoke cricket’s laws and protect England’s tailenders from Australia’s relentless “bodyline” bowling in the ongoing Ashes series, former England captain Michael Atherton has said.
Australia have reclaimed the urn with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-test series, their fiery pace battery of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins singeing England’s frontline batsmen in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
The pace trio have not spared the tailenders.
England’s number 10 batsman Jake Ball was subjected to a bouncer barrage in the Brisbane opener and number 11 James Anderson suffered a sickening blow to the side of his helmet in the third test at Perth.
Atherton conceded Australia were clearly the better team and that any side with such ammunition would have attacked the tailenders for practical and psychological reasons.
“That said, I did wonder aloud at the time why the umpires were so reluctant to act to protect Ball,” Atherton wrote in the Times newspaper.
The law states that short pitched bowling is dangerous if the umpire considers it likely to inflict physical injury when measured against a batsman’s skill.
“Test cricket or not, the Law and the playing conditions are there to protect batsmen incapable of protecting themselves,” Atherton added.

Protect England tail from ‘bodyline’, Atherton tells umpires
Australia’s Mitchell Starc celebrates with team mates after dismissing England’s Stuart Broad during the fifth day of the second Ashes cricket test match at Adelaide on December 6, 2017. (Reuters)
Reuters, Melbourne
Thursday 21 December 2017
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:52 - GMT 06:52
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