Ben Finds it Dull: Why Cricketers Should Start Young

Publication: Melbourne Herald
Date: 16 March 1929

melbun
march 16

deer sir
wel i was down at the crickit
ground agen yestidy avin a look
at the statchery
now and then i seen sum of
em move an it was very inter-
estin

if the orstrailans is goin to
win this match why dont thay
git it over an dun with an put
thurty thousan peepil out of
ther aginy
wot this match is developin
into is shear croolty to crickit
fans
ime a active man meself an i
ave led a strenyus life an ere i
been doin nuthink for a ole
week but sit down an put on
wate
i rekin i must ave gained arf a
stone since larst friday weak
an i want to apologise to mr
jardeen for wot i sed about is
slow skorin the uther day
compared with sum uthers i
cud menshin mr jardeen is a
wirlin urrican
ime orful sorry to ave to say it
but i rekin the noospapers is
responsible for this slow skorin
its these ere press fotcrafers
the crickiters as got so used to
avin there foters tuk so often
thay are alwiz posin for em in
case sum wun mite want to taik
a snap
anny way i no now why thay
call them test matches
so far as i can see the public
is goin to win this test
but if it lasts till the public
pashens is wore out and thay
stop goin to the ground then it
will count as a win for the
crickiters
this letter mite seam to you
sorter grumlin an grouchy but
mine you i aint chukin orf at
yure crickit down ere it as its
brite spots and is orl rite as far
as it goes wen it does go
but you gotter remember this
is the second saterdy i ave mis-
sed the match up at gunns gully

an wen i think of em up there
this afternoon tarin orl over the
lanscape turnin ansprings over
logs an nocken sixers into the
skrub every to (2) minits you
cant blaim a man for gittin
omesick for a bit of ackshin
besides thay got a noo umpire
in my place an that mite meen
them losing a match
owever ime goin down to the
match today an if i see anything
movin i will wire you urgint
i will rite you a sumry of me
ideers an final opinyuns on
mundy and then me for ome an
a bit of reel excitement watchin
me spuds growin
praps ime gittin to old for
crikit
crikit is a yung mans gaim af-
ter all an the orstrailans is wise
to put these colts in the teem
thay is then abel to play out a
match before ole age overcums
em and ther jints begin to creek
well ime hoppin for the best
today altho the wether looks
dull
hoppin you are the saim

yures truly
BEN BOWYANG

p.s. from the ground
kipax is ran out
that just shows you the dan-
ger of movin in this gaim
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