WOMEN AND SPORT

Southland Times, Issue 20664, 20 April 1929, Page 19

WOMEN AND SPORT

SURPRISING KNOWLEDGE.

One of the features of the series of cricket teets just concluded was the interest taken in the games by women, writes The Australasian’. They attended in very large numbers, and were by no means silent. In fact, their shrieks of dismay or delight caused a great deal of amusement. This was particularly noticeable when a fieldsman caught a ball on the hop, most, of the women thinking that the batsman had been caught out. Then when a short run was being attempted the suspense of the women would be shown by their shrieks. A great number of women, however, knew as much about the points of the game and the performances of the players as their menfolk. One girl never missed a day in Melbourne. She had her regular place in the Frank Grey Smith stand, and her knowledge of the game and her shrewd comments were favourably commented on. Then there was a grey-haired woman who missed nothing. She explained to a companion one day that she played cricket, a great deal in her girlhood. She lived in a small country town, and her brothers insisted on her joining in their game of cricket. Her knowledge of sporting terms was much greater than the woman, who, watching the start, of an important foot race, exclaimed delightfully, "Now I know what ‘scratch’ means. I just saw one of the runners stoop down and scratch his ankle.”