Historic cricket club goes digital

For 125 years, members of Old Hill Cricket Club have been enjoying the gentle sound of leather on willow.

With the crisp cricket whites, a manicured pitch and an historic scoreboard, the club was the archetype of the traditional village ground.

But this week the team finally moved into the digital age, installing a electronic scoreboard to keep a tally, batting the 1928 original into the outfield. Club chairman Robin Viner said: "We decided it was time to modernise. All the numbers were on a roll and you couldn't really see them from the pitch.

"Now we are all computerised it's much clearer, and we are very happy with it."

The main structure of the scoreboard has been kept and upgraded with a new fascia, and a shelter to protect it.

It has cost the club £6,000 and a series of fundraising events to stump up the cash, but some of the craftsmanship and the wood were provided for free by Cradley Heath wood supplier Robin's Timber.

Last year, the club in Haden Park Road opened a new two-lane practice batting net.

Mr Viner said he was keen to encourage new younger members so that Old Hill Cricket Club could continue for another 125 years.

"This is part of our ongoing drive to modernise the ground," said Mr Viner, aged 66, of Bromwich Lane, Pedmore.

"We have 70-odd youngsters down here every Friday for coaching, using the new nets, and the scoreboard now looks fantastic.

"With the old one if you were playing you couldn't see the numbers, because the fascia was white and the numbers were black.

"Now it's the other way round and it's much clearer for the players to see," Mr Viner added.

The scoreboard got its first use yesterday in a friendly against Glastonbury cricket club.