Cricketer's live streaming of Fylde coast matches proves a hit with clubs

Ben Lester, 30, from Poulton, has devised a novel way of beaming live action from Palace Shield matches directly to your phone.

He has devised a system, called Waffle, whereby a phone is mounted on sightscreens and captures match action as it happens, shared via Facebook Live.

The waterproof box comes with a mobile wifi attachment, a battery pack and a plastic slide so it can be secured to sightscreens.

The live streaming was first used last Saturday in the Palace Shield clash between Norcross and Fylde, with the footage now viewed more than 600 times.

Ben (right), whose brother Toby is a professional with Lancashire County Cricket Club, then

produced a highlights package from the game which has been viewed more than a 1,000 times.

The former Baines High School pupil has received interest from the Palace Shield to use his product on its finals days.

And with many clubs wanting to promote themselves better online, Ben hopes he has struck gold.

He said: “I’ve been working on it for a couple of years and I wanted to recreate what the counties are doing at a local cricket level.

“Lancashire live stream their games, so you don’t necessarily need to go to Old Trafford every week to be part of it. But the challenge was to try to recreate that at grounds that don’t have the same facilities.

“You would end up using all your data and battery power if you just used your phone, so the pack includes a mobile wifi and battery pack to avoid this.

“We used a 3D printer to create the box it fits in and the response so far has been great.

“We’re working on technology that will use visual cues to capture 10- second highlights instantly when something happens.

“And it can be used for net sessions too to help cricketers look at their techniques and improve their game.

“Clubs are really trying to drive more engagement from their members and this is one way they can do that.

“Often at tea someone will ask how the first or second team are getting on.

“With Waffle you can just look at Facebook and watch how your team-mates are doing, no matter where you are.”

Adam Ball, who manages Norcross CC’s social media channels , said: “The live stream looks brilliant. Everyone at the club really likes it.

“We have had lots of views and a few new people following our Facebook page as a result.”

As the pack is clipped to the sightscreens, the action is limited to what happens at the wicket and won’t capture, for example, the ball leaving the square.

Lancashire County Cricket Club’s equivalent is hand operated but doesn’t always capture the action off the square either.

But Ben says the product, which costs around £300, is still in its infancy and technology is constantly evolving.

A former Fylde CC player before moving to London, he added: “When I moved down south I wanted to play local cricket but had no idea where to look.

“If a club streams their games, you can get an idea of the standard of the cricket while watching it on your phone before you choose where to go and play.

“It’s a real opportunity for clubs to enhance their online presence and I’m really pleased with the interest so far.”

Clubs can sign up interest at www.wafflesport.com