Pelham 'Plum' Warner was a former English Test cricket player and national selector many times between the first and second world wars. As such, he served his country during high and lows, particularly during the contests with Australia. He is most notable for being the manager of Douglas Jardine's 1932-33 touring side - the infamous Bodyline series.The book is broken into year segments, each of which deals with English Test matches, the university match, the Gentlemen v Players match and some details of the county championship. Occasionally, he delves into restaurants and post season tours he has led.Of keenest interest are his comments about Bodyline, which he terms fast leg theory bowling. Whilst making it plan he was at variance with his captain Jardine, he also praises his captaincy and expresses regret that Jardine passed out of the game so quickly after the tour. Of less interest to him was Harold Larwood, Jardine's lethal weapon, but then, Larwood was a professional cricketer and seen as expendable by the gentlemen cricketers of independent means and public school education.The descriptions of the English public horror at watching the West Indies employ Bodyline tactics against the English the following season are apparent in his accounts, as is the unhappiness with county sides when Nottinghamshire employed the tactics against them. Notts had as their opening bowlers Larwood and the other demon of Bodyline, Bill Bowes.He also explains his perspective on the famous statement by the Australian captain, Bill Woodfull, made in a bruised and battered state from a table in the Australian dressing room at Adelaide in 1933 - 'Mr Warner, there are two sides out there today and only one of them is playing cricket' - and how it led to an exchange of cables between the Australian and English authorities which lasted nearly three years.Fairly dry in parts, its an important read never the less, especially if one has read Jack Fingleton's 'Cricket Crisis', itself an immensely better read from a lovely wordsmith. It also clearly shows the class structure of England and how thoroughly it was reflected in the game of cricket. - Review by Peter Langston
Title: Cricket Between Two Wars
Author: Pelham Warner
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