By Casey Neill
The Endeavour Hills Cricket Club will have a new scoreboard by January.
Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams announced on 10 October that the club would receive nearly $40,000 for the new Sydney Pargeter Reserve feature.
It will include an LED screen, making it easier for the Eagles to keep track of runs on the board and reduce the burden on volunteers.
In July, the Journal News reported that Ms Williams spoke about the project in Parliament on 7 June.
She asked Sports Minister John Eren to “approve funding for improvements to the facilities and infrastructure of the Endeavour Hills Cricket Club”.
“Their facilities are used by people of all cultures and backgrounds, and the club actively fosters a friendly and welcoming atmosphere,” Ms Williams told Parliament.
“We know that local sporting clubs strengthen individuals and strengthen our communities.
“They are places where people from all walks of life come together to share a mutual love of the game.
“In a highly multicultural electorate like Dandenong, it is clear that sporting clubs provide a connection between cultures, ages and sexes, offering an inclusive and constructive social outlet.”
The Endeavour Hills Cricket Club is in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association (VSDCA), the second-tier turf cricket competition in Victoria.
It has 15 teams across juniors and seniors, and runs a Milo In2Cricket program.
Vice president Tom Hollis said the scoreboard was going to be a great plus for the club.
“That is going to be positioned on our main cricket ground, for the seniors,” he said.
Mr Hollis said the club hoped the new scoreboard plus a surface upgrade would attract new players.
“The demographics of our area, we’re probably a little bit challenged,” he said.
“The time commitment to cricket these days seems a bit hard for people, so we are battling a bit with our playing numbers.
“We are down across the board, both juniors and seniors.
“I think it’s just reflective of the amount of time people have in their lives.
“We’re trying to be a bit more involved in the community to ensure everyone knows that we’re here.”
