That Test Match!

New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 355, 12 April 1946, Page 17

That Test Match!

W FARING an air of intense gloom, the Old Cricketer arrived home from Basin Reserve. It-had been a dark week-end -~ sadder by far than the blackest days of the War. Not even the modest . thirst-quenchers -which usually accompany. a,sporting post-mortem had helped. "Well, Henry, how did we shape in the Test?" asked his wife. "My -deat," said Henry, "I didn’t notice. I was busy putting my hat under the seat." * % * NEw ZEALAND’S 1946 Test XI. flopped ingloriously by an innings and 103 runs, and there wasn’t even a censorship-and-security blackout to save our .faces. Sixteen thousand helpless spectators watched the debacle; the NBS provided a full radio coverage, Vin. James, the Canterbury representative wicketkeeper, gave a commentary, to Australia as well as New Zealand, from the ground. And the ground didn’t open and swallow anyone. But the world’s first post-war cricket Test did help us to get some of our perspective back, and did give us something important to worry about. Anyway, it was just the first post-war Test. We may do better next time. During. the Australian XI.’s tour, the National Broadcasting Service gave descriptions of matches against the visi- tors in various centres, using the radiotelephone for an eight minutes’ talk on each occasion to the Australian Broadcasting Commission-for re-broadcast-ing. But for the Test, the ABC had ball-to-ball descriptions. The special broadcasting box at Basin Reserve was in operation. From this the broadcast went to the NBS studios to be monitored, and then it was fed to the Post and Telegraph Department’s station at Tinakori Hill for transmission. The result was that for the Test, descriptions of play from 12.0 to 1.15 p.m., 3.0 to 3.15 p.m., 4.30 to 4.45 p.m., and 6.0 to 6.15 p.m., were received by Australian and New Zealand listeners simultaneously. New Zealanders heard, in addition, a number of local commentaries. In addition to these, a talk on former Australian XI.’s was given from 2YA by the Rev. E. O. Blamires of Wellington, an old representative cricketer, and relayed through the Main National Stations. ~ .