Leg theory is abowling tactic in thesport ofcricket.[1][2] The termleg theory is somewhat archaic, but the basic tactic remains a play in modern cricket.
Simply put, leg theory involves concentrating the bowling attack at or near theline ofleg stump. This may or may not be accompanied by a concentration offielders on theleg side. The line of attack aims to cramp thebatsman, making him play theball with thebat close to the body. This makes it difficult to hit the ball freely and score runs, especially on theoff side. Since a leg theory attack means the batsman is more likely to hit the ball on the leg side, additional fielders on that side of the field can be effective in preventing runs and taking catches.
Stifling the batsman in this manner can lead to impatience and frustration, resulting in rash play by the batsman which in turn can lead to a quick dismissal. Concentrating attack on the leg stump is considered by many cricket fans and commentators to lead to boring play, as it stifles run scoring and encourages batsmen to play conservatively.
Leg theory can be a moderately successful tactic when used with bothfast bowling andspin bowling, particularlyleg spin to right-handed batsmen oroff spin to left-handed batsmen. However, because it relies on lack of concentration or discipline by the batsman, it can be risky against patient and skilled players, especially batsmen who are strong on the leg side. The English opening bowlersSydney Barnes andFrank Foster used leg theory with some success in Australia in 1911–12. In England, at around the same time,Fred Root was one of the main proponents of the same tactic.
In 1930,England captainDouglas Jardine, together withNottinghamshire's captainArthur Carr and his bowlersHarold Larwood andBill Voce, developed a variant of leg theory in which the bowlers bowled fast, short-pitched balls that would rise into the batsman's body, together with a heavily stacked ring of close fielders on the leg side. The idea was that when the batsman defended against the ball, he would be likely to deflect the ball into the air for a catch.
Jardine called this modified form of the tacticfast leg theory. On the 1932–33 English tour ofAustralia, Larwood and Voce bowled fast leg theory at the Australian batsmen. It turned out to be extremely dangerous, and most Australian players sustained injuries from being hit by the ball.Wicket-keeperBert Oldfield's skull was fractured by a ball hitting his head (although the ball had first glanced off the bat and Larwood had an orthodox field), almost precipitating a riot by the Australian crowd.
The Australian press dubbed the tacticBodyline, and claimed it was a deliberate attempt by the English team to intimidate and injure the Australian players. Reports of the controversy reaching England at the time described the bowling asfast leg theory, which sounded to many people to be a harmless and well-established tactic. This led to a serious misunderstanding amongst the English public and theMarylebone Cricket Club – the administrators of English cricket – of the dangers posed by Bodyline. The English press and cricket authorities declared the Australian protests to be a case of sore losing and "squealing".
It was only with the return of the English team and the subsequent use of Bodyline against English players in England by the touringWest Indian cricket team in 1933 that demonstrated to the country the dangers it posed. The MCC subsequently revised theLaws of Cricket to prevent the use of "fast leg theory" tactics in future, also limiting the traditional tactic.