I just saw this Hindi film, Lagaan, that features a cricket game in India between an English team and an Indian team. It’s set in 1893. Before watching it I knew nothing about the rules of cricket, but I was able to figure out most of them from watching. (Mrs. Mojo was by my side to explain as well.)
One of the English bowlers (guy who throws the ball) was a very mean brute. He kept putting the Indian batters out by throwing beanballs (i.e. deliberately hitting their heads with the ball and knocking them unconscious). I couldn’t believe that could be legal, but he kept getting away with it. Could the rules really allow such dirty play? I thought cricketeers were supposed to be such jolly good sports, fair play and all that. Pip pip, what ho.
You’re right, it’s legal, but is not considered within the spirit of the game. There is no real possibiliy of getting the batsman out with a head high full toss, so the only reason to bowl it deliberately is intimidation.
Generally a full toss is regarded as an easy delivery to score a boundary from. The beanball only “works” because it’s rarely seen.
As to being dangerous, well the element of surprise aside, it’s no more dangerous than a bumper (which comes through at head height after bouncing). During the not-long-past days when the West Indies were the kings of world cricket, you see them bowl 3-4 bumper/short pitched deliveries every 6 ball over.
Typically batsman nowadays wear helmets so the risk of injury is reduced. Possibly as a consequence, batsman are now not as adept at avoiding or scoring from such deliveries.
[technical clarification]the bowlers bowls the ball, not throws it. The elbow is not allowed to straighten during the delivery. I’d suspect Mrs Mojo would have alerted you to that. :)[/technical clarification]
Untill recently it was legal to bowl and many bouncers (high balls ment to intimidate the batsman) as you wanted. Now the rule have been changed and only one ball over shoulder hight is allowed per over (six balls) in test cricket and none at all in one day cricket.
Bowlers intimidating batsmen is part of the game. Balls are frequently aimed at the batsman rather than the wickets. Good batsmen are able to respond, keep their cool and exploit the loose balls. It can be quite entertaining watching the sour look on a bowlers face as he is hit for another six.
You would probally be suprised if you realised how much padding modern test cricketers wear.
In baseball, the most infamous example of the beanball was on August 16, 1920, when the Yankees pitcher Carl Mays hit the Indians shortstop Ray Chapman in the head and Chapman died the next day. An outraged nation mourned; there were debates in Congress on outlawing baseball.
Since then the beanball has been illegal. If in the judgment of the umpire the pitch was intentionally thrown at the batter’s head, the pitcher is ejected from the game.