Great grandson of Ashes Bodyline hero enjoys commercial success
The England team, especially captain Douglas Jardine, were despised in the winter of 1932/33.
The controversial bowling tactic, Bodyline, was devised to tame Don Bradman and could have hurt Australian batsmen. It created a diplomatic incident between the nations. Yet one ‘Pom’ did command affection and admiration: Eddie Paynter.
The tourists led 2-1 going into the fourth Test at the Gabba, with the previous Test at Adelaide enflaming the hosts’ fury – captain Bill Woodfull was hit in the chest and Bert Oldfield had his skull fractured by a Harold Larwood bouncer. Paynter came in at an iffy 186 for 5 in the first innings of that match and made 77, helping England to victory.
At Brisbane England fielded for 121 overs in stifling heat, and the diminutive Lancastrian was forced to a hospital bed with tonsillitis. At 216 for 6, chasing 340, however, England needed him, and he discharged himself. Anybody who has watched the cheesily enjoyable Australian TV mini-series, Bodyline, will know the story.
It showed the left-hander, played by Prisoner Cell Block H’s Alan David Lee, necking aspirin washed down by champagne (possibly apocryphal, like much in that production). In a Panama hat, and with a neckerchief doused in icy water (which is true, see headline photo), and after refusing Woodfull’s offer of a runner, he battled to 24 not out against the masterful leg-spin of Bill ‘Tiger’ O’Reilly on the third day.
Good against spin, and a strong cutter and hooker, he went to 83 (in four hours, 10 fours) the next, taking England to a 16-run lead.
Larwood and Gubby Allen bowled Australia out for 175 (with Paynter insisting on fielding), and England won by six wickets. Paynter won the match and the series – the first time both had happened in Ashes series – with a six. A boy picked the ball up, and Jardine promised him a signed England shirt if he returned it so he could give it to Paynter, which he did.
The ball Paynter hit for six to win the Test and the Ashes
Saracens’ owner, Nigel Wray, bought it for £10,000 and it’s now worth 10 times that. England also won the fifth Test to seal a 4-1 win, but the Laws were tweaked to discourage Bodyline – or Leg Theory – and it will go down as the most fractious series of all time.
Paynter was a hero though, and was greeted by a big crowd at the Mechanics Hall in his home town of Enfield in Lancashire upon his return.
He has the second-highest Test average of England batsmen playing 20 Test innings – 59.23 – behind only Herbert Sutcliffe (60.73). Yet he played in only 20 Tests, making 1,540 runs (591 at a record 84.42 against Australia).
He had been a coal miner and started late, playing only 11 times for Lancashire between 1926–29 without much success. He finally made his maiden first-class century against Warwickshire at Old Trafford in 1931 and his Test debut against New Zealand on his home ground that summer.
He played three times in that Ashes of 1932/33 but didn’t play another Test for four years.
Great grandson David reflecting on Eddie's career
He returned in triumph in his third Test back, making an unbeaten 216 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1938. That winter he struck 117 and 100 against South Africa at Johannesburg, and 243 at Durban, but the War denied him further appearances.
He finished his first-class career with 16,555 runs at 41.59 for Lancashire. He later played club cricket for Keighley. Eddie died aged 77 in 1979, two years before David was born, but he will always be recalled for one of cricket’s greatest tales, when apoplectic Australians took an Englishman to their heart, and he is the inspiration behind a new range of footwear.
PAYNTR is run by Eddie’s great grandson, David. The 39-year-old has a pretty inspirational story himself. David did become close to Eddie’s son, of the same name – he used to drive him to matches.
His father, Mark, was more a golfer than a cricketer but does recall playing tennis-ball cricket with his father and Sir Garfield Sobers on an outfield once.
David spent three enjoyable seasons with Northamptonshire, rooming with Monty Panesar and playing alongside Graeme Swann and Mike Hussey (all great friends). He then spent seven years working for the flooring company of his father.
Eventually he had enough, and spent a year as a stay-at-home dad, formulating a plan, despite friends and family telling him to find a “proper job”.
“I had a lightbulb moment in that year at home,” said David. “I saw there was a gap in the market for specialist cricket footwear. The first name we used did not take off, so then we thought of Paynter, or PAYNTR as it’s become!”
The brand new Bodyline range from PAYNTR
His supportive wife, Karen, a nurse, backed him to the hilt and within four years PAYNTR has become one of the leading specialist cricket shoe brands in the world. They are on track to sell 100,000 pairs a year globally. They have offices next to Leeds Bradford Airport and in New Delhi. They are the official partner of Durham, Essex and Yorkshire county cricket clubs. Michael Vaughan has been marketing the products and his invested interest supports the business. They are now planning to branch out into golf – with eyes on the United States – and hockey. But David’s love of cricket, and the will to help players perform better, goes back to Eddie and the stories he heard of his great grandad.
“I’d love to have met my great grandad (although I did know my great gran, who made amazing apple pie), but I have heard so much about him. I also enjoyed the TV series, even if I did cringe at the actor’s little voice. The champagne may also have been made up, but it works for me!
“He was gritty and super-strong, despite being only 5ft 4in and losing the top joints of two fingers in an accident in early life. I’m told he would put a coin on his wrist and when he flexed the muscle it popped in the air. He was one of only a few players at Keighley to hit a six into the neighbouring rugby stadium. He played for them until 70 and big crowds would hold collections for him.
“That Bodyline series was in an era of gents and players and Eddie would never have criticised his skipper. He was as working class as you get and would have held Jardine in high regard. It’s a great story and that’s why we wanted to use it with our footwear.”
124 is the batting shoe – that was Bradman’s number when it came to Australian Test players.
225 is Larwood’s England number. That’s the bowling boot. It took two years to develop, and Tim Bresnan helped with it.
263 is Eddie’s England number and that’s the allrounder’s boot (he did bowl a bit of right-arm seam).
412 is the training shoe – that was David’s Northants number and they come in either black or white.
Everything about the boots has been carefully thought through – the white with black colourway evokes the monochrome days of 1932/33 as it exists now in pictures and on film. They also have the PAYNTR cross logo – representing ‘performance multiplied’.
And now son Marley, 10, and daughter Flo, 6, are following in his footsteps, as it were, becoming keen cricketers. The Paynter legend seems sure to live on.
The Cricketer had an exclusive look at the new Bodyline collection as part of our Club Cricket Guide.
Inspired by Eddie Paynter’s Ashes heroics, the range caters for all with a shoe for every type of player. No other brand focuses solely on producing the best cricket shoes and it shows.
The sturdy support from the 30mm strap on the 225 bowling shoe protects bowlers while the 124 batting boot is light and agile, allowing you to turn sharply and head off for that second run. The padded foam inside the toe box provides extra comfort.
The 263 allrounder boot combines support and flexibility with a hardened heel cup and a low-cut topline collar.
And completing the range is the 412 trainer which is perfect for everyday sporting use. There are few shoes out there more comfortable. Check out our full review in the Club Cricket Guide.
For more information on PAYNTR visit www.payntr.com