In 1936 Ashes cricket history was changed following the Bodyline series when England was forced to play in Ipswich for the first and only time. I told a version of this story live on Ipswich’s West Bremer Radio.

The Bodyline series of 1932-33 was probably the most controversial event in world sports history. The England team hatched a plan to stop our Don Bradman. What they did caused an international uproar and forced a change in the rules of the game.

The next time England toured Australia, cricket’s board of control, which set the itinerary, would have its revenge, deliberately or otherwise.

On the Bodyline tour, England played Queensland Country in Toowoomba with the match finishing in a draw. That was the fifth time that England had played in Toowoomba.

But in the lead-up to the 1936-37 tour by England – the first since Bodyline – the board of control voted to take the country match away from its traditional Darling Downs base, and send England to play in Ipswich for the first and only time.

So it was December 1936, and England had just beaten Australia in Brisbane to take a 1-0 series lead. England was then sent out to Ipswich for a two-day match at the showgrounds.

Three Ipswich players were selected for Queensland Country, including Malcolm Biggs who had captained the side three years earlier. He had played first class cricket for Queensland, and later that year continued his prolific scoring with a double century in club cricket.

There was Reg Whittle who was the captain of Gatton and was also in fine form having scored a century just weeks earlier for a season average of 133.

And then there was Stan Faulkner who was the best Ipswich bowler never to have played for Queensland. He took a hat-trick for East Ipswich just weeks before the England match.

The England team was captained by Walter Robins who was the usual vice-captain. There was Wally Hammond who was the world’s best slips fieldsman and one of the best batsmen that England ever produced. And then there was bowler ‘Bodyline’ Bill Voce who had been an instrumental part of England’s infamous Bodyline strategy.

But whoever was in the team, it was undeniable that England were whingers.

Ipswich’s Faulkner took 4 wickets for 82 runs for the best bowling figures in the match, but that’s not what the Poms complained about.

They whinged about the change rooms being poor quality.

Then they complained about the scenery around the ground not being up to scratch. They particularly didn’t like the view of the Ipswich cemetery next door.

They grumbled about the crowd which each day included a group of inmates from the Ipswich mental asylum.

And most of all, the England players whinged about the ants. They hated Ipswich’s bull ants.

England’s Hammond refused to run when he batted, for fear of being bitten by the ants. And so he scored a nonchalant 109 runs almost exclusively from fours and sixes.

Voce didn’t want to stay out in the field either. When he batted, he hit a quickfire five sixes off six balls. When he fielded, he complained about bull ants being half the size of his finger. Wherever the Bodyline villain stood they went after him, especially whenever he tried to stand in slips.

Hammond, who was in slips, put two reefs in his trouser legs and hopped from foot to foot trying to watch the ball and the ants at the same time.  

The match ended in a draw and the England players left town as quickly as they could.

But the bull ants had the desired effect and the English were put off their game, including Robins who later uncharacteristically dropped Bradman to cost England the Ashes.

You see, England lost three of the next four tests and have never gone back to Ipswich again.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A VERSION OF THIS STORY TOLD ON WEST BREMER RADIO.

Photo credits:
The Argus and The Australasian Cricket Tour 1936-37.
Malcolm Biggs, Colts v Country – Observer and Evening Brisbane Courier, 19th November 1925, page 8.
Reg Whittle – Telegraph, Brisbane, 27th November 1936, page 23.
Robins at Lords, England XI v Dominions, 1943 – Australian War Memorial SUK11311.
Gloucestershire and England cricketer Wally Hammond, c1930 – Wikipedia Public Domain.
Voce hits six – Courier Mail, Brisbane, 15th December 1936, page 12.