'Synthetic' cricket commentary brought international test matches home | RetroFocus | ABC Australia

Before radio, cricket enthusiasts had to rely on newspaper reports for scorecards of the day's game. There was no such thing as ball-by-ball coverage.

Radio developed an ingenious system, used from 1934, where commentators in Sydney recreated the game as it being was played in England - synthetic cricket.

Detailed analysis of a match was sent via telex from the ground to a studio in Sydney and as soon as one minute later, these descriptions would be broadcast by the commentary team, complete with the sound of a wooden pencil striking the desk and sound effects of a crowd.

Synthetic descriptions proved to be incredibly popular. This tribute to the storied career of cricket broadcaster Alan McGilvray goes into detail about the process.

Watch the Bradman and Tendulkar documentary:    • Bradman and Tendulkar | The untold st...  

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