Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

114 A message was also sent to the technical team near St. Mary’s Hill in Bridgend who were relaying the signals back to Broadcasting House in Cardiff and who were also supposed to go on a break. This completely ad hoc decision meant that this very special piece of cricket history was recorded for posterity, together with Wooller’s excited description of the last six: “And it’s gone all the way down to Swansea.” The first airing of the footage came towards the end of Grandstand , and shortly afterwards, the early evening news, whilst the BBC authorities also arranged for a post- match interview between Brian Hoey, their news presenter and the two record-breaking cricketers. Radio commentary of matches had taken place at Swansea since the late 1920s. The Swansea Wireless Relay Station had been opened in December 1924 with the 110 foot aerial on Town Hill allowing the town’s Mayor to undertake the first broadcast from the newly completed studios in what he described as “the capital of West Wales.” 4 The coverage of cricket and rugby matches at St. Helen’s had also been encouraged from this time by Gerald Cock, the BBC’s first-ever Director of Outside Broadcasts, especially as it was a highly effective way of filling the transmission schedules and was a way of not over burdening the fairly limited studios. Appointed in 1925, Cock soon began overseeing innovative coverage of sporting events, as well as the introduction of new technology in transmitting reports and action commentary from a number of sporting venues across the UK, including the Arms Park and St. Helen’s. To facilitate the coverage of matches, Cock issued instructions that the BBC should provide financial assistance so that proper facilities could be provided for its commentators. Therefore, 150 guineas was given to the Sixes at Swansea The view of St. Helen’s from the BBC TV gantry erected together with commentary boxes at the Mumbles Road End.