AUSTRALIA CRAZY ON CRICKET

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1930, Page 3

AUSTRALIA CRAZY ON CRICKET

EVERYONE: INTERESTED. EVEN PARLIAMENT HEARS THE SCORE. SYDNEY, Aug. 21. Some interesting sidelights on the test match now being played at Kennington Oval have been seen in New South Wales during the last few days. One Sydney radio station broadcasts a ball by ball description of the game until the early hours of the morning, and in every suburb and, in fact-, every country town crowds are gathered outside the radio shops listening m to the description of the game. YOUTHFUL ENTERPRISE. One enterprising young man at da hit an (.Sydney) bought a quantity of folding chairs, which he placed on a vacant allotment of ground, and, having erected a loud speaker there, attracted a crowd of 2000 nightly. He charged 6d a seat, and during the present series oi 5 tests has netted £3OO. In addition, he . has let a portion of his alllotment to a pie vendor, , who has also done a roaring trade. LATE FOR WORK. Hundreds of offices are affected by the late broadcast of the scores, for both “bosses” and staff are invariably late for work during the test nxatches, and nearly all show a predilection for a quiet sleep in the lunch hour to make up for the stolen hours of the night and early morning when the scores are coming through. ROWRAL WAKES UP. At Bowral, the home town of Australia’s champion, Don 'Bradman, the excitement has been intense. The. town is as much alive at 3 a.m. ah in the daytime; in Tact, more business is done from 8 p.m. to midnight than at any time of the day. SWALLOWED A PEN. On Tuesday night Dorothy Pickle, aged sixteen, of Bowral, was listening in to the test match, and., during the excitement at the .announcement.,that Bradman had reached his century in the first innings, swallowed a fjouiitain pan. Sire was rushed to the hospital and an immediate operation performed, and the pen was retrieved. She is making good progress towards recovery. The pen was found in her left lung. THE SPEAKER’S ANNOUNCEMENT. Even Parliamentarians are on tiptoes, In Victoria, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly makes an announcement' every half-hour during

the sittings of the Ilovjr. In f>rclor for the Speaker to do so, a motion for the suspension of the standing orders is tabled and treated as urgent business, thus taking preced ; enee over Government business. Having Moen given .permission- by the House to make an announcement, the cricket scores are then given, and I°' five minutes budgets, depression and the- next elections are forgotten in the excitement of discussing the la;t-' est development.s_.at Kennington. EVEN THE CHtiVCH. Even the church recognises the pub.ic interest, and at Bombala (New! South Wales), after mass, the Kev.. Father ltoche announced that England had won the toss. He then informed his congregation that the “stumps” seoies would 'be found posted on the door of the church each .morning.