CRICKET AND OTHER NOTES. 187 



game has as mucli fascination for them as horse- 

 racing, and their enthusiasm over a keenly-contested 

 match is a treat to witness. A good match draws 

 people from all parts of the Colonies, and at the final 

 test match between Australia and England at 

 Melbourne in March, 1895, thirty thousand people 

 were present on the ground on one day. There were 

 visitors on that memorable occasion from North 

 Queensland, the wilds of West Australia, New 

 Zealand and Tasmania, not to mention the adjacent 

 Colonies of South Australia and New South Wales. 

 Never on any previous occasion lias there been such 

 excitement over a match. It was the fifth test match, 

 and each side had scored two victories. In Sydney the 

 excitement was as keen as in Melbourne. Special wires 

 were sent to the leading newspaper ofiices every few 

 minutes and were posted in the windows. Immense 

 crowds completely blocked the way in front of these 

 offices, and many people remained there throughout 

 the day anxiously watching the scoring board. The 

 cheering was tremendous when an Australian's score 

 gradually rose higher and higher, and when a fifty was 

 placed opposite the batsman's name the thunder and 

 applause was deafening. The crowd before the 

 Daily Telegraph oflSce in Fleet Street during the 

 recent general election was not larger than that in 

 front of the Baily Telegraph in King Street, Sydney, 

 during the progress of this memorable match. 



