STOURBRIDGE Social Cricket Club have been boosted by a £45,000 rebuild.

The Norwood Road outfit can now boast new changing rooms, toilets and an equipment shed after it was awarded funding from the National Lottery.

Almost half the cash went on a new perimeter fence which now surrounds a ground which has often suffered from vandalism.

Chairman Paul Hatton said the transformation had been remarkable.

He said: “It’s really had an effect, everyone who has visited has commented on how much better the club looks now.

“We applied for the money last year and fortunately we were successful.

“We’ve also had a new electricity supply as vandals had ripped the old one out.”

Hatton reserved particular praise for the volunteers who helped prepare the ground for the new buildings, some of whom were offenders carrying out the work as part of their community service.

He added: “We had to tear down the old changing rooms.

“They worked all through the end of last year and the start of this one to make sure we would be able to play cricket over the summer.

“They did a great job.”