At eight o’clock, I tuned the radio to 2KY’s breakfast show. Phil Haldeman, who was formerly one of 2SM’s ‘Good Guys’, had as his guest the singer and pianist, Jade Hurley. Phil stated that he was “on 2WG (in Wagga Wagga) late 1958 and all 1959”.
I hung out the load of washing for Tiki and washed last night’s dishes. At Miranda Post Office I purchased a stamp for fifteen cents. It depicts Father Christmas riding on a surfboard. It was shortly after that that I made the mistake of paying five dollars and fifty cents for a packet of twenty Christmas cards in Grace Bros and knew after I’d bought them that I’d spent more than Tiki would have wanted me to.
When Tiki rang, at twenty past one, I was called a “dummy” numerous times before she finally began to calm down. She hadn’t been in the best of moods to begin with and stated that she wanted to leave work and come home.
This afternoon’s offering from the series, ‘Ripcord’, focuses upon a group of old men who have formed a pact to suicide and as a result one of eight numbered parachutes is sabotaged. The men bet on which of the parachutes will fail to operate. Upon its conclusion, at half past two, I turned to Channel Two to watch the last day’s play in the Second Test which is being played in Perth.
Australia lost the wicket of Craig Serjeant when he was on twelve, having already had John Dyson dismissed yesterday prior to stumps, after he had scored but four. ‘The Mod Squad’, at three o’clock, is about stolen pigeons that carry encephalitis and end up in the keeping of a young boy. Australia, at lunch, is two wickets down for ninety-nine. Tony Mann, who was sent in as a nightwatchman, is not out on fifty-seven.
‘Right On’, Channel Ten’s pop programme, screens from four o’clock and, as per usual, is hosted by Kobe Steele. A thunderstorm is quite near and it is beginning to rain as I write. It contains a little hail, which concerns me because Tiki doubtless has the ‘Galant’ parked in the open at Cronulla where she is having her hair cut.
The rain has ceased after twenty minutes.
Tiki arrived home at twenty past five and we shared a bottle of ‘KB’ and a few pieces of her delicious birthday cake. Tony Mann was dismissed for one hundred and five, in this only his second Test. David Ogilvie compiled a slow, yet valuable forty-seven and, at tea, Australia is four for two hundred and twenty-two, still requiring a further one hundred and seventeen runs to win.
We departed at a quarter to seven on a brisk walk through Miranda and Gymea. As we were approaching the Miranda Telephone Exchange, a Scot crossed the road to ask if we knew how to direct him to Kiora Road.
“You’re in it!” I retorted.
Tiki and I couldn’t help but have a smile over the incident.
We arrived home at twenty-nine minutes to eight and Tiki watched another episode of ‘The Restless Years’ while I, too, sat in front of it holding my ‘trannie’ and the broadcast of the Test from Perth to my left ear. At half past the hour and in spite of protestations from Tiki, who wanted to watch the ‘Bing Crosby Christmas Special’, which had been recorded just five weeks before his death, I turned the dial to the live coverage of the Test.
Peter Toohey was caught on the fence — not literally — at deep mid-on when his score was on eighty-three and just nine runs were required for victory. With his score on twenty-three, Steve Rixon was adjudged to be leg before wicket to a delivery from Bedi without further advancement to Australia’s score. Nevertheless, it was the four that was struck over cover by Jeff Thomson that was to bring Australia victory and a lead of two Tests to nil in the series.
Australia finished on eight for three hundred and forty-two with Thomson on six and Wayne Clark also unbeaten on five. Captain, Bob Simpson, was named ‘Man of the Match’, having scored one hundred and seventy-six and thirty-nine.
We retired to bed at twenty-two minutes past nine, however, Tiki, who’s obviously going through an even more demandingly profound time at work than even I had realised, ordered me to lie on the carpet between the bed and the window until seventeen minutes to ten because I had deprived her of watching Bing Crosby.