After all the ill-feeling and rancour that surrounded the bodyline series of 1932/33, the 1934 series in England was very good-natured by comparison, although neither English protagonist from that tour ever played for England again.
Jardine, the captain, retired, while fast bowler Larwood was unfairly shunned by the cricketing establishment for his part in what had happened. It was perhaps no coincidence that Australian batters Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman prospered in his absence, making substantial partnerships in the last two matches in the series.
The matches between the two began at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, where Australia won the toss and chose to bat first. Arthur Chipperfield became the first cricketer to score 99 on Test debut. Stan McCabe got 85, and Australia reached 374.
In reply, Patsy Hendren top scored with 79, and there was 62 for Herbert Sutcliffe, but Clarrie Grimmett’s 5-81 helped restrict them to 268. Batting again, McCabe made 99, enabling Australia to declare on 273/8, setting England 380 to win. But Bill O’Reilly’s 7-54 and three more wickets for Grimmett meant that Australia won by 238 runs.
Remarkably, the second Test, at Lord’s, proved to be England’s only win at the historic venue in an Ashes series in the 20th century.
This time England chose to bat, having won the toss. They made 440, Maurice Leyland with 109, Les Ames with 120, and Cyril Walters with 82.
In reply, opener Bill Brown scored 105, but Australia were bowled out for 284, Hedley Verity claiming 7-61. Australia were made to follow on and Verity this time took 8-43, as they were dismissed for only 118. He took 14 of these wickets in a single day as England won by an innings and 38 runs.
The third Test, at Old Trafford, Manchester, was dominated by bat. Again, England batted first, racking up 627/9 before declaring. Leyland made 153, Hendren 132, and Ames 72, as the runs flowed. McCabe responded with 137 of his own, and Brown contributed 72, as Australia totalled 491.
Batting again, England made an unbeaten 123 before declaring, but there was no time in the game to force a result, although Australia did reach 66/1 before hands were shaken on the draw.
The two teams met again at Headingley, Leeds, where England were bowled out for 200 in their first innings, with Grimmett the most successful of the bowlers with 4-57.
But Bradman, who had enjoyed a relatively low-key tour to that point, sparked into life, hitting a triple century and sharing a stand of 388 for the fourth wicket with Ponsford who made 181. Australia were finally all out for 584, but the match ended in a draw as England reached 229/6 in their second innings.
Bradman had become the first man to score two triple hundreds in Test cricket, that too at the same venue.
The destiny of the series and the Ashes was determined at the Oval, where the pair of Ponsford and Bradman again shone brightly. They shared a second wicket stand of 451 – at that point a world record for any wicket – flaying the England bowlers all around the ground. Ponsford eventually made 266 and Bradman 244, as the tourists racked up 701.
In reply Leyland scored 110, and Walters 64, but England were dismissed for 321. Australia chose not to enforce the follow-on, but instead batted again, Bradman scored 77 this time and McCabe 70, as they reached 321, meaning England were set 708 to win.
In the event Grimmett claimed 5-64 as England were all out for 145. Australia had won by the not inconsiderable margin of 566 runs.
As in 1930, the Test series ended on winning captain Bill Woodfull’s birthday