© ABC 2011

Questions for discussion

NZ Earthquake 1. Discuss the NZ earthquake story with another student. 2. Describe the devastation the earthquake caused. 3. Why do a large number of earthquakes happen on the `Ring of Fire’? 4. How are earthquakes measured? 5. What magnitude was the recent earthquake in Christchurch? 6. Why was the recent earthquake more destructive that the September

earthquake? 7. Seismologists can predict when earthquakes will occur. True or false? 8. What will need to be rebuilt after this earthquake? 9. What are the short and long term needs of the survivors after an earthquake? 10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?

Write a message about the story and post it on the BtN guestbook http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html

SES volunteer

1. Describe the work the State Emergency Services does. 2. About how many volunteers does the SES recruit each year? 3. What sorts of things are SES volunteers trained in? 4. What character traits do you think SES volunteers would have? 5. How can kids become involved in the SES? 6. Are volunteers important in our community? Explain your answer. 7. Choose three adjectives to describe volunteers. 8. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story? 9. Who do you know that works as a volunteer in the community? Describe the

work they do. 10. How did this story make you feel?

Use the internet to investigate the role volunteers have played in the recent floods in Australia and the Christchurch earthquake.

Gas dispute 1. Discuss the main issues raised in the BtN story with another student. 2. In your own words, describe the dispute going on between some farmers and

mining companies. 3. Most resources under the ground belong to… 4. Name the resource the mining companies want. 5. What is the resource used for? 6. What impact will the wells have on farmers and their land? 7. What are the benefits of the mining going ahead on farming land?

EPISODE 4

1ST

MARCH 2010

© ABC 2011

8. Do you think mining companies should be allowed to drill on private property? Explain your answer.

9. What is the main purpose of the BtN story? a) To entertain b) To explain c) To warn d) To criticise

10. Name three facts you learnt in the Gas dispute story.

`Should gas companies be allowed to drill on private property without permission?’ Vote in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/

Bell ringing

1. There can be up to _____ bells in a bell tower. 2. Describe how they ring the bells. 3. What is the fluffy bit that the bell ringers hold on to called? 4. A piece of music is called a … 5. What sorts of occasions do the different pieces of music signify? 6. How are different notes made with the bells? 7. What do judges look for in a bell ringing competition? 8. What is a `peal’? 9. Why is maths important in bell ringing? 10. What was surprising about this story?

Create a quiz about bell ringing. Use facts from the BtN story and the web links on the story page of the BtN website to help you write the questions.

Blind cricket 1. Briefly summarise the blind cricket story. 2. Who are the current world champions in blind cricket? 3. Why do bowlers bowl underarm? 4. How do bowlers know where the wicket is? 5. How is the batting technique different? 6. Describe the importance of sound in blind cricket? 7. Why do you think a lot of the players have developed a good sense of where

things are based on sound? 8. What special equipment do the cricketers use? 9. The Australian blind cricket team are currently ranked ______ in the world. 10. Use a Venn diagram (two overlapping circles) to show the differences and

similarities between blind cricket and conventional cricket.

Test your knowledge in the online cricket quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the links.

© ABC 2011

SES volunteer Focus Questions

11. Describe the work the State Emergency Services does. 12. About how many volunteers does the SES recruit each year? 13. What sorts of things are SES volunteers trained in? 14. What character traits do you think SES volunteers would have? 15. How can kids become involved in the SES? 16. Are volunteers important in our community? Explain your answer. 17. Choose three adjectives to describe volunteers. 18. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story? 19. Who do you know that works as a volunteer in the community? Describe the

work they do. 20. How did this story make you feel?

Why volunteer? Students will explore what it means to be a volunteer and the role of volunteers in

the community. Ask students to write their own definition of what a volunteer is.

Share definitions with other students (in small groups or as a whole class). Discuss

any differences in their understandings.

Use the following questions t o help guide a discussion about volunteers and the

work they do. Record responses on a concept map.

What is the difference between paid and unpaid work?

How do volunteers help the community?

Why do people become volunteers?

What qualities and values do volunteers need to have?

Which organisations, groups or events use volunteers?

What personal experiences do you have of volunteers or volunteering?

Who does volunteering benefit in the community?

Students will then choose an organisation to research that relies on volunteers for

work that it does. Identify the different roles volunteers have within the

organisation. To take the investigation further, students could interview a

volunteer that works for the organisation. Possible questions to ask them include

How and why did you become a volunteer?

What skills are needed to carry out the volunteer work?

What do you gain personally and professionally from volunteering?

Students can present their research to the class as a Power Point, oral

presentation or poster.

EPISODE 4

1ST

MARCH 2011

Learning Area

Society and Environment

Key learning

Students will develop a deeper understanding of what it means to be a volunteer and their role in our community.

© ABC 2011

Further investigations

Use the internet to investigate the role volunteers have played in the recent floods in Australia and the Christchurch earthquake.

Write a short narrative about working as a volunteer.

Related Research Links

ABC Behind the News – SES SOS

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2338976.htm SES – Kids corner http://www.ses.vic.gov.au/CA256AEA002F0EC7/page/Kids+Corner?OpenDocument&1=50-Kids+Corner~&2=~&3=~ Volunteering Australia – Volunteering http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s12_content/default.asp?tnid=10 South Australian SES – SES Cadets http://www.ses.sa.gov.au/site/join_the_ses/ses_cadets.jsp

© ABC 2011

NZ Earthquake Focus Questions

1. Discuss the NZ earthquake story with another student. 2. Describe the devastation the earthquake caused. 3. Why do a large number of earthquakes happen on the `Ring of Fire’? 4. How are earthquakes measured? 5. What magnitude was the recent earthquake in Christchurch? 6. Why was the recent earthquake more destructive that the September

earthquake? 7. Seismologists can predict when earthquakes will occur. True or false? 8. What will need to be rebuilt after this earthquake? 9. What are the short and long term needs of the survivors after an earthquake? 10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?

NZ earthquake News stories can sometimes be upsetting. We have provided a document in the teacher’s pack that suggests ways to support young people upset by news stories. Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete from each section.

Remember and understand

Create a glossary of key words associated with earthquakes including:

earthquake, epicentre, magnitude, Richter scale, plate tectonics.

Make a list of questions you have about earthquakes. Visit the following websites and see which questions are answered. http://www.abc.net.au/science/expert/realexpert/earthquakes/ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/eqscience.php

Research and write 10 true or false statements about earthquakes. For

example: The edges of tectonic plates are called plate boundaries (true).

Apply and Analyse

What is an epicentre? On a map of New Zealand, show the epicentre of

the earthquake in Christchurch. How far away from the epicentre was the

earthquake felt?

How do natural disasters like earthquakes affect people? Students write a

personal response to a news story about the Christchurch earthquake.

Present your response to another student.

EPISODE 4

1ST

MARCH 2011

Learning Areas

Science

Key learning

Students will gain a deeper understanding of how earthquakes occur and the impact they have on people.

© ABC 2011

What is the role of a seismologist? Research the different aspects of their

job and present your information as an information report or job

description.

Evaluate and create

What are plate tectonics and how do they work? Research the types of

plate movement; divergent, convergent and lateral slipping. Create a

diagram and explanation for each. What does the` Ring of Fire’ have to do

with plate tectonics?

A seismograph is a device that scientists use to measure earthquakes.

Working in pairs, design and make a model that measures seismic waves.

The following website has step by step instructions for making a simple

seismograph. Present your working model to the class.

http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/davis/hs/Seismograph.html

The following website has images of the Christchurch earthquake. Create a

caption for each image

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3755744&grade=78

Self assessment

What do you understand more clearly since completing these activities?

What would you do differently next time? Why?

Related Research Links ABC Behind the News – Earthquakes: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2835225.htm ABC Behind the News – Ring of Fire: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2709798.htm ABC News – Earthquake Q&A: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/23/3147021.htm ABC Science – Ask an expert: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/02/23/3146490.htm Scholastic – Earthquake rocks New Zealand: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3755744&grade=78 Plate Tectonics – Earthquakes: http://www.plate-tectonics.org/earthquakes/ USGS - The Science of Earthquakes: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php National Geographic – Earthquakes: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/interactive/index.html?section=e BBC - How earthquakes happen (animation): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4126809.stm

© ABC 2011

BtN: Episode 4 Transcript

01/03/11

On this week's Behind the News:

Heroes in crisis. We train with the State Emergency Service.

Whose land is it anyway? The row between farmers and the gas

companies.

And we catch up with some heavy metal muso’s, but it's not

what you think.

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News.

Also on the show today James gets some tips from the stars of

Australia's blind cricket team.

But we start today with a very sad story.

NZ Quake

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: New Zealand's been hit by another deadly earthquake the

second in just six months.

The city of Christchurch was struck last week killing more than a

hundred people and injuring many others.

So why does New Zealand seem to be getting so many earthquakes?

© ABC 2011

Tash reports.

MAN 1: Everyone just kind of started, just diving under the tables. I

didn't realise why at first.

WOMAN: To actually see the top of the Cathedral come down was,

I've never seen anything like it in my life. To actually see it topple in

front of the Cathedral, to see the dust and have people running out

underneath that dust it just, there's just no words to be quite honest.

It was absolutely awful.

MAN 2: All I've seen is terror and destruction ever since.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Damaged buildings, flooded roads

and crushed cars. It looks like a bad dream!

But this is the reality for people in Christchurch after the city was hit

by a powerful earthquake.

Christchurch is the largest city in the south island of New Zealand.

It's now in clean up mode, after a quake measuring 6.3 on the Richter

scale struck.

The city was still recovering after its last major earthquake, which

shook the city in September last year.

So why is New Zealand at risk of so many of these quakes?

It all starts with the rubbing together of what are called 'tectonic

plates'.

© ABC 2011

REPORTER: The earth's made of these plates, which are a bit like a

jigsaw puzzle. They're always moving, but only about a few

centimetres a year. An earthquake can be created, when the plates

decide to crash or rub against each other quickly!

And that happens more often for countries like New Zealand, because

it's situated right above the place where the Pacific plate rubs against

the Australian plate.

Most earthquakes happen within a region called the 'Ring of Fire'.

It's a bit like a circle around the Pacific Ocean and it's given its name

because most of the world's active volcanoes are in this ring.

Ninety per cent of the world's earthquakes happen in the ring of fire.

The earthquake that hit Christchurch last September measured 7.1, so

why was the last one more destructive, even though it was smaller?

Well, this earthquake was only 5 kilometres underground, whereas

last year's was deeper.

That means the smaller one had more impact, because the centre of

the quake was closer to the city.

Also there were many deaths and injuries this time because it

happened on a weekday during the busy lunch-hour.

It's a scary thought, but there's still no way of predicting when an

earthquake is about to happen.

So is Australia at risk of an earthquake, like New Zealand's

experienced?

© ABC 2011

Although we've had earthquakes too, they don't tend to be as powerful

as the ones in New Zealand and the big ones don't happen anywhere

near as often.

That's because we're not as close to the edge of the tectonic plates.

But experts say we should still be careful because smaller earthquakes

can still cause damage.

What now for New Zealand?

The rebuilding of Christchurch will begin, but some of the historic

buildings like the Cathedral will never be the same again.

But it's not just buildings and homes that need to be repaired.

There are things like burst water pipes, ruptured sewage and gas

leaks.

Hundreds of volunteers and disaster specialists from Australia and

other countries have been sent to help out, as the city tries once again

to rise up from the rubble.

Presenter: That's some pretty sad news.

If you're feeling upset by any of the stuff you see on TV talk to an

adult about it or we've got some info that might help on our website.

SES Volunteers

Reporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: Whenever these disasters happen there are lots of people

helping out.

© ABC 2011

And many of them are volunteers.

So why do some people feel compelled to give up their time to help

others.

We sent Kirsty to train with the volunteers at the State Emergency

Service to find out.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: Australia's been hit with lots of

natural disasters lately. And among these scenes of devastation are

flashes of orange. These are the uniforms of the State Emergency

Service, known as the SES. Each state and territory has one and their

job is to respond to emergencies like storms, missing people or car

accidents. They can also play a big role once an emergency has passed

by helping deliver food and supplies. Or they can work behind the

scenes in areas like communications. They're important jobs but most

people who work for the SES are volunteers. There are 27,000 SES

volunteers in Australia. So what does it take to become one?

REPORTER: Now it's not as easy as just putting on an orange jacket.

You have to do some training. So I'm going to see if I have what it

takes.

ROB MITCHELL, VOLUNTEER: Well Kirsty there's lots of training

that SES volunteers can do, we start off with the senior first aid,

there's storm damage, with tarping and roof jobs, there's chainsaws, I

just put one away here, there's land search looking for missing people,

there's lots of variety for SES volunteers to learn.

REPORTER: My first lesson is how to tarp a roof. First, I need to slip

on a safety harness.

DERREN HALLEDAY, SES COMMANDER: Put that ring around

there, good to go.

KIRSTY: Ok.

© ABC 2011

REPORTER: Once you're on the roof, you need to step carefully and

then move the tarp to where you want it. It sounds simple but you

wouldn't want to be hanging up here for very long.

REPORTER: Rob it's pretty hot up here. How hot can it get?

ROB: Well we do work on very hot days and dehydration is a concern

so hydration is very important so we carry lots and lots of water.

REPORTER: Volunteers can also get called in to search for missing or

injured people. In this lesson I had to pretend I was trapped in a

collapsed building. The SES volunteers quickly sprung into action.

First, getting me to lie down in this stretcher then, covering me with a

blanket. Then they start strapping me in really tight, so I don't fall

out. The main thing is to make sure the person doesn't get even more

injured, especially if they're being pulled out from a building.

VOLUNTEERS: Ready, ready, down slow.

REPORTER: Smooth landing!

REPORTER: You have to be 18 to work for the SES, but you can get

involved in the cadet program when you turn 13. These guys do a lot

of the training and theory, but won't go out on rescues until they're

older. Most of the volunteers have other jobs but they drop what

they're doing to respond to emergencies.

ROB: The pager unfortunately goes off 24/7 so it goes off at probably

the most wrong times I guess but certainly during the day it goes off.

We get paged for the jobs.

REPORTER: But that hasn't put them off, these volunteers have

found great benefits of being in the SES.

GARRY BROOK, VOLUNTEER: I've met lots of new friends, learnt

lots of new skills, enjoy helping the public when there's like issues like

trees and things like that, that need to be sorted out.

© ABC 2011

Presenter: Let's catch up with some of the week's other news stories

in the Wire.

The Wire

The violence is continuing in Libya where protestors are trying to

force dictator Colonel Moamar Gaddafi to step down.

He's still refusing but his hold on power is slipping.

Opposition forces have taken control of Zawiya, the city closest to

Libya's capital, Tripoli.

They are also controlling the east of the country.

Many in Libya want to see change after forty one years of Gaddafi's

rule.

It's estimated more than one hundred thousand people mostly

migrants have fled the country

The UN Security council is trying to stop the Gaddafi regime by

preventing weapons being sold to Libya freezing Colonel Gaddafi's

assets, and preventing him from travelling.

******

NASA has filmed images of a large solar flare.

© ABC 2011

It's not the strongest flare ever recorded but it kicked up a big wave of

plasma.

The eruption lasted for about ninety minutes.

The flare is the latest in a series of sun storms.

******

And in Brazil,

An unusual street parade took place on the weekend in Rio de Janeiro

as owners dressed their pets in bright costumes for this year's special

pet parade.

It's the ninth year of the event which started out small with just six

musicians and twenty pets.

Now, hundreds of pet owners and their animals attend the parade.

Gas Works

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: When you buy land how much do you really own?

That's the debate at the centre of a huge fight between farmers and

miners in Qld and NSW right now.

Mining companies have found a huge new resource underneath the

ground of some of the best farming land in Australia.

© ABC 2011

It could mean billions of dollars in profits but to get it they need to

dig on privately-owned farm land.

Let's take a look at both sides of this complicated fight.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: There is a fight on in rural

Queensland, and it's got tempers flaring.

DAYNE PRATZKY: Do not let them in. No more wells. No more

drills. That's it, it's finished.

This battle is over land on the Western Darling Downs. One side

wants what's on it and the other, what's deep underneath.

And just like the very ground they're fighting over, this is an argument

with a lot of layers.

The Downs area produces huge amounts of cotton and grain, and

hundreds of thousands of livestock are bred on farms here.

Three young guys who work the land in the area are the Hayllor

triplets.

But they say their business is being threatened by mining.

IAN HAYLLOR, DAD: We've got a third of our farm which will

potentially be an open cut coal mine and destroyed forever, and the

rest of our land is all subject to coal seam gas activity.

DANIEL HAYLLOR: The problem with the coal seam gas is there are

so many unknowns. We don't know what effect it's going to have and

they do, they promote it saying “we're not digging it up. You guys can

come back here and everything is going to be fantastic.” But we've got

two huge problems with it. One is the salt, they are potentially

© ABC 2011

creating a huge environmental problem in 30 years time and the

second thing is our underground water.

It's a strange position the Hayllors find themselves in, because while

their family own the land they farm, they don't own what's deep

underneath it.

Most resources underneath the ground are the governments', and if

they decide there is something under there that is valuable enough,

they can sell it right out from underneath you. Literally!

The whole of the Downs is now dotted with drilling camps.

They're searching for a highly valuable product.

Coal seam gas.

Deep underground, there are big layers of coal in this area.

And trapped throughout the coal is methane gas, which is what we

use to power stoves and heaters in our homes.

Miners have discovered if they dig a well and pump out some water all

of a sudden the gas will flow up to the surface ready to be collected

It's a very profitable business.

Forty thousand wells are now planned and they'll be scattered over

many farms.

Add to that the roads, equipment and collection ponds that go with

them, and farmers are looking at losing a lot of land.

© ABC 2011

And it's all with the permission of the government.

REPORTER: It's kind of like someone telling you that they were going

to put a well down in your backyard, then a road going to it.

And really, there is not a lot you can do about it.

Farmers say all this stuff being built on their property makes it really

hard to farm effectively.

They also have concerns about what effect mining will have on the

environment, which could affect their productivity.

Others say the compensation they are being paid for the use of their

land is nowhere near fair.

On the other hand, the mining companies say they're doing their best

to work with farmers where possible, and some are very happy to

work with them.

They say they often help communities by funding new resources and

jobs in the area, and they bring in huge amounts of money to

governments in royalty payments.

But both sides have vowed they'll continue to fight, to conduct their

business on the same patch of dirt.

Presenter: OK that's an issue that's dividing opinions. Let's make

that our poll this week.

Online Poll

© ABC 2011

The question is:

Should gas companies be allowed to drill on private property?

To vote, just head to our website.

And let's look at the results of last week's poll.

We asked you should relatives be allowed to overturn the wishes of an

organ donor.

Thirty Three per cent of you said, yes, relatives should have the last

say.

But two-thirds of you voted, No, the organ donor's wishes should be

final.

Thanks for taking part.

Bell Ringing

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: From school bells to alarm bells, we hear that ringing sound

all the time.

But while they're usually meant to jolt you into action there are some

bells that are designed to be music to your ears.

It's a type of music called church bell ringing and as Tash found out,

to be the best, it takes a lot of team work and a good maths brain.

© ABC 2011

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: They're musos travelling around

the world!

They love music and they like it loud!

And it's all to do with heavy metal.

Not that heavy metal. These guys are Bell Ringers!

Church bell music is still very popular, particularly after weddings.

And this is how it's done.

The bell ringers are bit like a band, and they work together as a team.

It’s one bell per person and some big bell towers have up to 16 bells.

They pull on a rope like this, which swings the bell in a forward and

reverse direction to make a sound.

The fluffy bit they hold is called a 'sally'.

You don't necessarily need to be tall with a lot of strength to pull the

ropes.

And age isn't an issue either!

Cate's sixteen and has been bell ringing for two years.

REPORTER: Cate, how do you ring a bell?

© ABC 2011

CATE: Alright, well you start off with it just like this and you put your

hands on the rope. Your left hand on the bottom, right hand on the

top and what happens is you reach up and you grab on to this

coloured bit, which is called the sally, as high as you can reach. Then

you pull and the sally will come down and go back up and right into

ceiling.

REPORTER: So can I give it a go?

CATE: Sure, I'll just get Anne to help you. She'll do the hand stroke

for you.

But you can't just pull the ropes and hope it'll sound okay, there's a bit

of maths behind it too!

Each bell has a number, so a bell ringer needs to co-ordinate when it's

their turn to ring.

And these are the odd looking music sheets that look more like maths

equations.

There are different sequences and patterns, so bell ringers need to

follow their number.

The ringers often memorise the order or take their cue from a

conductor.

They don't call them songs or tunes; a piece of music is called a

'method'.

There are different pieces to signify occasions from weddings to

funerals.

© ABC 2011

REPORTER: Up here is where the bells are kept and it can get really

loud, so I better pop these on! There are eight bells at this church and

they're different sizes and weights, to make different notes!

Bell-ringing can also get quite intense, as there are competitions

people can take part in!

These guys are part of the Society of Royal Cumberland Youths.

They've come all the way from the UK to compete in the Adelaide

Bellringing Challenge.

In competitive bell ringing, the judges listen to things like the timing

and whether the bells are struck correctly.

And during competition, the team can play what's called a 'peal'.

That's like a marathon of bell playing, which can sometimes last up to

nine hours straight!

Then judges give each team a rank out of five, with one being the best.

Presenter: Great stuff. Let's have a quiz about it.

Quiz 1

Which name means the study of bells?

Audiology

Campanology

© ABC 2011

Otology

Answer: Campanology

Audiology is the study of hearing and Otology is the study of the ear.

OK, listen up because we've got sport coming next in the score.

The Score

First today to the cricket world cup where New Zealand's cricket team

honoured victims of the Christchurch earthquake with an emotional

minutes' silence before their match against Australia.

New Zealand went on to struggle through the match losing to

Australia by seven wickets.

To soccer now and the A-league finals picture is looking a little bit

clearer after the roar confirmed their place in the Grand Final.

The Brisbane team managed to come from behind against the Central

coast mariners to grab a 2 all draw sending them through 4 - 2 after

both home and away legs.

Central coast will now have to face off against Gold Coast United who

ended Adelaide's season with a 3 - 2 win on Sunday night.

To Rugby league now and the St George Illawarra Dragons have taken

out the World Club challenge defeating English side Wigan at home.

© ABC 2011

Wigan have won the title three times but after a strong start they

faded to give St George a sniff and they grabbed it with both hands.

The match ended at 21 - 15 giving the dragons huge confidence

coming into the 2011 NRL season.

We're going to hear more about cricket next, so let's keep you in the

mood with another quiz.

Quiz 2

The question is:

Who is the highest wicket taker in test cricket?

Is it: Shane Warne

Muttiah Muralitharan

Harbhajan Singh

Answer: Muttiah Muralitharan

He's a Sri Lankan spin bowler and he retired from test cricket last

year.

Surprisingly though some of those great players might struggle to

make it into our next team.

Blind Cricket

Reporter: James Bartold

© ABC 2011

INTRO: This type of cricket requires a different type of skill set.

You don't just have to be good with a bat and a ball. You've got to

have a pretty good ear too.

Here's James.

JAMES BARTOLD, REPORTER: Cricket's a game that takes extreme

skill and accuracy. You need quick reflexes and the ability to make

split second decisions.

Often success or failure can come down to the finest of margins.

So imagine how much harder it would be if every ball bowled at you

looked something like this.

This is the Australian Blind Cricket Team. Playing in a six-match

home series against Pakistan and it's been a real test for the Aussies

because Pakistan are the current World Champions.

So how different is blind cricket to the game we see on TV?

Well let's start with the bowling.

It'd be pretty dangerous for a blind person to face a bouncer, so all

balls have to be bowled under arm.

The rules say the ball has to bounce at least twice before it reaches the

batsman, but as you can see, even underarm these guys can bowl

some high speeds, sometimes up to 80 k's an hour.

So how do they know if they're bowling on target?

© ABC 2011

The bowler has to guess where the wicket is by listening to the voice of

the wicket keeper.

They can call out the bowlers name three times and it's by this sound

that the bowlers get their aim.

Then the bowler has to shout "ready" so that batsman knows the ball

is about to come.

When it comes to batting the technique is slightly different.

Most don't stand up straight; instead they play a sweep shot like this.

That's because the ball travels lower along the ground with little

bounce.

It's easier to hit the ball if you keep your bat really flat and close to the

ground and because the players are blind they have to rely on sound

to know where the ball is, and that's why this thing has some key

differences

REPORTER: The ball is made from hard plastic and although it looks

a lot like a normal cricket ball, the key is what's inside. These are ball-

bearings they rattle inside the plastic so players can know exactly

where the ball is.

The rattle of the ball is also important when it comes to fielding

because the players track the ball by its sound.

Once the fielder has it in his hand the bowler or wicket keeper yells

out and the fielder uses their voice to guess the location of the stumps.

And at this level it's amazing how accurate they can be.

© ABC 2011

Most of the players have been blind for a long time so they've

developed really good sense of where things are based on sound.

So, for a beginner like me it was never going to be easy.

I put on some special glasses so I couldn't see.

After a while, and with some coaching from one of Australia's star

players, I started to improve by listening carefully and getting the

timing right.

The Aussie team are currently one of the best, ranked fourth in the

World, and are hoping to make up some ground on countries like

Pakistan.

It mightn't be long till Australia's blind cricketers are the next team to

bring a World Cup home.

Closer

And that's it for today!

Don't forget to log onto our website and get more info about any of

our stories. You can send us your comments and tell us what you

think in our poll.

We'll see you next time.