Greatest Cricket Moments

Harold Larwood Emerges — Nottinghamshire's Pace Spearhead, 1927-28

1928-09-30Nottinghamshire and English county cricketHarold Larwood's emergence as Nottinghamshire's leading bowler, 1927-282 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

Across the 1927 and 1928 county seasons the 23-year-old Notts miner Harold Larwood took 100, 138 and then 138 wickets — establishing himself as the fastest bowler in England and securing his place in the 1928-29 Ashes side that would, four years later, take its leg-theory plans to Australia.

Background

Larwood, the son of a Nuncargate miner, had been signed by Nottinghamshire in 1923. His county captain, Arthur Carr, had identified him as the fastest bowler in the second eleven and accelerated his promotion. By 1928 he was the central wicket-taker for the third-placed county.

What Happened

Larwood had played his first Championship season in 1924 and broken into the England side in June 1926 against Australia at Lord's. The 1927 and 1928 county seasons were the period in which he became the leading English fast bowler. In 1927 he took 100 wickets at 17.31 in his first 100-wicket season; in 1928 he took 138 at 17.55 and was the leading wicket-taker in the country. Wisden named him one of its Five Cricketers of the Year for 1927.

His pace, action and stamina were the most-discussed in English cricket. He bowled with a 23-pace approach, a perfect side-on action and a delivery faster than anyone in England since Tom Richardson in the 1890s. He was 5 ft 7 in tall — small for a fast bowler — but the rhythm and the late swerve made him close to unplayable on receptive surfaces. The 1928 county season produced the figures that secured his Ashes selection: 138 wickets, including 9 for 41 against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

The 1928-29 Ashes was the first Ashes win in Australia for 17 years. Larwood took 18 wickets in five Tests at 40.22 — modest figures by his later standards, but enough on flat Australian wickets to confirm his role as England's pace spearhead. The plans for 1932-33, formed at Lord's by Pelham Warner and Douglas Jardine, would centre on Larwood from the outset.

Key Moments

1

1924: Larwood's first Championship season

2

1926: Test debut v Australia at Lord's

3

1927: 100 wickets at 17.31; named Wisden Cricketer of the Year

4

1928: 138 wickets at 17.55; selected for 1928-29 Ashes

5

1928-29: 18 Test wickets in Ashes; England win 4-1

Timeline

1923

Larwood signed by Nottinghamshire

1926

Test debut at Lord's

1927

First 100-wicket county season

1928

138 wickets; selected for 1928-29 Ashes

1928-29

18 wickets in Ashes; England win 4-1

Notable Quotes

“I have not seen a faster bowler in England since W.G.'s time. He could be the answer to Australia in 1928-29.”

— Sir Pelham Warner on Harold Larwood, in The Cricketer (September 1927)

Aftermath

Larwood was the leading English fast bowler for the next five years. The 1932-33 Bodyline tour was built around him; his match figures of 4 for 121 across Australia's first innings of the Adelaide Test (after a Bert Oldfield head injury) made him the central figure in the most controversial Test series in cricket history. He played his last Test in 1933.

⚖️ The Verdict

1927-28 was the period in which Larwood went from promising county quick to England's pace spearhead, and the foundation of the bowling persona that four years later would change the laws of cricket.

Legacy & Impact

Larwood is the most famous English fast bowler of the inter-war era. The 1927-28 county seasons in which he made his name remain the textbook example of a young pace bowler maturing through county cricket and into Test cricket.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Larwood the fastest bowler of the 1920s?▾
Contemporary opinion in England was unanimous that he was. He was widely regarded as the fastest bowler in cricket between 1928 and 1933.
Was the Bodyline tour planned around him?▾
Yes. Pelham Warner, Douglas Jardine and Frank Foster designed the leg-theory plan with Larwood specifically in mind from the autumn of 1932.

Tags

#harold-larwood#nottinghamshire#england#fast-bowling#1927#1928#test-debut#english-cricket#history

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