A game played by gents they say
But at over ninety miles an hour
A fast bowled cricket ball
Really has some striking power.
A longed for confrontation between
A superb bowler and a class batter.
A match on a wicket so benign
Every ball just got flatter and flatter,
Until he managed to dig one in
And get that little bit extra rise
Which, were it not for his visor solid
have blacked both the batters eyes.
With a blood curdling yell he ran
Up the pitch swinging his bat around
And Following it up with a vicious kick
Felled that bowler to the ground.
Bloody body line bowling he said
I've just about had enough
Time you bloody bowlers realised
Us batters can cut up rough
I suppose now he said
There's not much doubt
The bloody Ump will decide
Ive been and run myself out.
After a quick toe jab to the ribs
Causing the fielders much alarm
He strode manfully from the field
Bat tucked firmly under his arm.
And that's how it happened when
Under a constant bodyline attack
All the class batters decided it
Was past time they all struck back.
And so the disciplines split
As a result of that fateful morn
And, in the fullness of time
Combat Cricket was finally born,
