A blunder in Master and Commander

[Robert Henderson]

The film Master and Commander* has a short scene of the sailors from the
Frigate Surprise playing cricket on the Galapagos Islands. The film is
set in 1805. The cricketers are bowling overarm. Oh dear, research needs
its collective bottom kicked.

*Best action film you will have seen for ages with the added bonus of
being an intensely English film. Both Crowe and Bettany are first rate
in the leading roles. RH

[Mike Gooding]

Post by Robert Henderson
The film Master and Commander* has a short scene of the sailors from the
Frigate Surprise playing cricket on the Galapagos Islands. The film is
set in 1805. The cricketers are bowling overarm. Oh dear, research needs
its collective bottom kicked.

And I bet everyone shouted Howzat when someone was clean bowled.
Would it have occurred to the sailors to play cricket in 1805 anyway ?
I'm not sure the idea of recreation figured largely in the experience
of working-class men back then; their idea of relaxation would more
likely have been a few hornpipes, Roger the cabin boy and drink
themselves into stupefaction.

Mike Gooding
------------

[John Hall]

Post by Mike Gooding
Would it have occurred to the sailors to play cricket in 1805 anyway ?
I'm not sure the idea of recreation figured largely in the experience
of working-class men back then; their idea of relaxation would more
likely have been a few hornpipes, Roger the cabin boy and drink
themselves into stupefaction.

Which might well explain why the captain would prefer to organise a
cricket match. (Not having seen the film, I don't know if it made
explicit whose idea the match was.)

[Robert Henderson]

Post by Mike Gooding

Post by Robert Henderson
The film Master and Commander* has a short scene of the sailors from the
Frigate Surprise playing cricket on the Galapagos Islands. The film is
set in 1805. The cricketers are bowling overarm. Oh dear, research needs
its collective bottom kicked.

And I bet everyone shouted Howzat when someone was clean bowled.
Would it have occurred to the sailors to play cricket in 1805 anyway ?

Absolutely. The RN carried the game around the world. RH

Post by Mike Gooding
I'm not sure the idea of recreation figured largely in the experience
of working-class men back then; their idea of relaxation would more
likely have been a few hornpipes, Roger the cabin boy and drink
themselves into stupefaction.
Mike Gooding
------------

[Geoff Leonard]

Post by Robert Henderson
The film Master and Commander* has a short scene of the sailors from the
Frigate Surprise playing cricket on the Galapagos Islands. The film is
set in 1805. The cricketers are bowling overarm. Oh dear, research needs
its collective bottom kicked.

Maybe. However:

"By 1773 length bowling had replaced true bowling. It soon led to
further experiments. In the 1780s Thomas Walker of Hambledon tried out a
form of round-arm delivery but was specifically warned against it.
Gradually others tried to bowl it and in 1816 a law was introduced to
prohibit it."

So it's just possible this scene could be accurate in 1805.

[Douglas Clark]

The original story was dated 1812 so it might have been ok.

[Jim Brant]

Post by Douglas Clark
The original story was dated 1812 so it might have been ok.

I think this refers to the cricket scene in the film? In the film, the
period has been pulled back by 7 years to 1805, apparently to avoid
antagonising American audiences by reminding them of the unpleasantnesses
of 1812. How they will deal with that when and if they ever get round to
'The Fortune of War' will be interesting. That one is built around the
defeat of the USS Chesapeake by HMS Shannon, one of the very few battles
between ships of roughly equal size and armament in the 1812 war.

Jim

[Robert Henderson]

Post by Jim Brant

Post by Douglas Clark
The original story was dated 1812 so it might have been ok.

I think this refers to the cricket scene in the film? In the film, the
period has been pulled back by 7 years to 1805, apparently to avoid
antagonising American audiences by reminding them of the unpleasantnesses
of 1812. How they will deal with that when and if they ever get round to
'The Fortune of War' will be interesting. That one is built around the
defeat of the USS Chesapeake by HMS Shannon, one of the very few battles
between ships of roughly equal size and armament in the 1812 war.

With Bush and his fellow Moronicans in power, time I think for us to
burn the White House again. RH

Post by Jim Brant
Jim

[Robert Henderson]

In article <TWkOAIB5w0x$***@imdb.com>, Geoff Leonard <***@imdb.com>
writes

Post by Geoff Leonard

Post by Robert Henderson
The film Master and Commander* has a short scene of the sailors from the
Frigate Surprise playing cricket on the Galapagos Islands. The film is
set in 1805. The cricketers are bowling overarm. Oh dear, research needs
its collective bottom kicked.

"By 1773 length bowling had replaced true bowling. It soon led to
further experiments. In the 1780s Thomas Walker of Hambledon tried out a
form of round-arm delivery but was specifically warned against it.
Gradually others tried to bowl it and in 1816 a law was introduced to
prohibit it."
So it's just possible this scene could be accurate in 1805.

This was overarm not round arm. Also, underarm bowling of the lobster
kind came to dominate in the period 1790-1825. RH