It's coming up to 150 not out at Brewood

The first team snapped an unenviable run of five defeats in the Birmingham & District League Division Two.

They snatched nail-biting four-wicket win at home to Shifnal on Saturday in the penultimate over of the match.

The afternoon, which also saw the third team defeat Wombourne, saw the launch of the anniversary celebrations.

Club bosses had hoped that a day of events including face-painting, a bouncy castle and a barbecue, would help swell attendances as well as increasing awareness and interest about their anniversary week, which will start on July 12.

And festival organiser Phil McShane said: "It was a very successful day and at its peak there were probably 200 people at the ground which is more than double the number that we normally get.

"And I think that the fact that the first team game was really exciting helped keep people there all afternoon.

"A lot of people stayed on to watch the end of the game so it really helped."

McShane added that the club sold lots of programmes and handed out plenty of further promotional material highlighting the host of events the club will be holding in anniversary week.

Highlights will include a junior cricket tournament, a prestigious first team game against an MCC XI, an acoustic music concert and an evening with Wolves legends Steve Bull and Andy Mutch.

And McShane said: "I think we created a lot of interest in the week, and a lot of people said they had lived in the village for a long time but had never been to the club before.

"But they enjoyed the day and have said they will come back in anniversary week which is great."

Saturday's launch, which also featured a well-attended evening concert by Brewood-based singer Will Morgan, was a respectful nod to the past.

But the anniversary celebrations will also help to shape the club's future.

Saturday proved a money-spinner with more than £1,500 taken at the bar and almost £400 on the barbecue.

And the club is hoping to continue to swell the coffers in July to help fund improved facilities for both senior and junior players.

The club is aiming to buy a new three-lane artificial cricket net, and McShane said: "We have had quotes for around £25-£30,000 which is a lot of money.

"We have looked at getting grants to help but it has proved quite tough so far and even if you get them you often have to find 15-20 per cent of the cost yourself.

"We have got other day-to-day costs to meet such as match ball fees, umpires fees, scorers, but the hope is that we can make a substantial profit from the week and put some of that towards the nets."

Brewood is currently in fine health, having seen the first team win promotion to the Birmingham League in 2010, with two further promotions seeing them peak in Division One in 2013.

Relegation followed last year but the club can also boast three other seniors men's Saturday sides as well as a Sunday League outfit, and a women's senior side.

Their junior section also caters for boys and girls from Under-eight to Under-14 level as well as an Under-16s boys team.

There are plans to add a fifth men's Saturday side as well as a girls Under-16s side in the future and McShane added that improving facilities will be vital to ensuring the club continues to thrive in the future.

He said: "The club is enjoying one of its most successful eras but our ultimate aim is to improve practice facilities.

"We see it as a way of guaranteeing our future because it will attract more youngsters down to practice and it will give the first team better facilities which helps attract better players.

"It is important to the long-term future of the club."