On a sunny day in May, alumni and longtime cricket supporter Alan Budge (1974, Industrial Economics) and his teammates Tom Hillmann (1972, Law) and Chris Yemm (1973, Law) joined Nottingham men's 1st cricket team to officially unveil a new scoreboard that was only made possible thanks to their generous donations.
It’s been more than 50 years since Alan, Tom and Chris graduated from the university, but their love of Nottingham and cricket has remained strong throughout this time.
“Cricket is a funny thing because, although you’re an individual you’re a team,” Alan reminisced. “You keep in touch. I knew the guys I played with better than any of the other people I was with. It becomes your family.”
The scoreboard has been given pride of place on the clubhouse, visible from the pitch and beyond.
“It’s essential that the scoreboard communicates what the state of play is. Not only for the teams, but also for the spectators and anyone who’s here,” said Alan. “The university has good grounds and good players, so the facilities need to be as good as they can. It’s a state-of-the-art scoreboard. It’s what’s needed to complete things and give the players the best opportunity to excel.”
Alan, Tom and Chris watched the men’s team play against long-standing rivals Loughborough and chatted with the current men’s team during their visit back to the university.