 Jardine then ordered his team to move to bodyline positions immediately after Woodfull 's injury . Jardine wrote that Larwood had asked for the field , while Larwood said that it was Jardine 's decision . The capacity Saturday afternoon crowd viewed this as hitting a man when he was down . Journalist – cricketer Dick Whitington wrote that Jardine 's actions were seen as " an unforgivable crime in Australian eyes and certainly no part of cricket " . Mass hooting and jeering occurred after almost every ball . Whitington noted that " [ Umpire George ] Hele believes that had what followed occurred in Melbourne the crowd would have leapt the fence and belaboured the English captain , Larwood , and possibly the entire side " . Some English players later expressed fears that a large @-@ scale riot could break out and that the police would not be able to stop the irate home crowd , who were worried that Woodfull or Bradman could be killed , from attacking them . 
