September 21 Saturday 2002
Australia reject hallowed Lord's turf

SYDNEY: Australia's hardline quarantine inspectors have barred entry to two boxes of turf from the world famous Lord's cricket ground in England, fearing that they might be a haven for bugs and pests.

Two souvenir sods of Lord's grass, ordered by Australian cricket lovers, arrived through the mail in boxes bearing the customs declaration "sporting (cricket) goods". But quarantine officials dug their heels in and refused to admit them.

"It is hallowed turf and we have quite a number of cricket enthusiasts who were quite impressed to see this, but obviously from a quarantine perspective we cannot allow this into Australia," said Craig Hall, manager of the Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry mail programme on Friday.

Lord's, owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club, is seen as the home of cricket and its spiritual headquarters. With the historic arena now being relaid, the MCC decided to raise funds by selling chunks of the old turf to cricket lovers around the world.

Australia, an isolated continent with unique flora and fauna, ban imports of fresh plant material or soil in case they contain pests or diseases or become weeds. There is a similar ban on fresh food and sea shells, and customs carefully screen wooden articles for bugs or mould.

Last year's outbreak of foot and mouth livestock disease in Europe prompted authorities to ask airline passengers arriving at Australia's airports to declare any mud on their shoes.