Down the mine I dreamed of cricket; I bowled imaginery balls in the dark; I sent the stumps spinning and heard them rattling in the tunnels. No mishap was going to stop me from bowling in the real game, especially this one.

Thereafter under the guidance of England's combative captain Douglas Jardine the fast leg theory or bodyline bowling attack was developed. Woodfull he said was too slow and Bradman too scared: "Richardson and McCabe played me all right Woodfull and Bradman could not". Fingleton later arranged a meeting between Larwood and Chifley; their respective broad Nottinghamshire and Australian accents meant that neither could understand the other and Fingleton had to act as an interpreter.

A coal miner's son who began working in the mines at the age of 14 Larwood was recommended to Nottinghamshire on the basis of his performances in club cricket and rapidly acquired a place among the country's leading bowlers. The advent of the Australian batsman Don Bradman ended a period of English cricket supremacy; Larwood and other bowlers were completely dominated by Bradman during Australia's victorious tour of 1930. A right-arm fast bowler who combined unusual speed with great accuracy he was considered by many commentators to be the finest bowler of his generation.