Jack Russell was the special guest as Stroud Cricket Club celebrated their 175^th anniversary in style.

The one-time Gloucestershire and England wicketkeeper was one of many ex-players who turned out for the club’s big day.

“It was good to see Jack, it was the first time that he’d been to our new ground,” said club president David Moore. “He thought it was lovely.”

The club have been playing their home matches at Ryeford since 2010 and Moore added: “Jack was very impressed by our facilities.

“We’ve got two squares which means we can run four teams in a proper manner.”

And 61-year-old Russell wasn’t the only former player seeing the new ground for the first time on Sunday.

There were matches on the adjoining pitches against the Gloucestershire Gipsies and a Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation Disability side, and Moore continued: “A lot of players who started with the club at the same time as me in the 1960s were there to help us celebrate our special day.

“We had a heck of a lot of people come along, it was a very good day.”

And Stroud’s 1^st XI had a very good day 24 hours earlier because they made it three wins out of four in the Gloucestershire Division of the West of England Premier League with a thumping nine-wicket win over Frocester 2nds.

The visitors won the toss but were dismissed for 156 inside 45 overs with Ewan Gegg the most successful of the bowlers with 4-35.

Gegg then hit an unbeaten 81 as Stroud reached their target in the 35^th over.

“I thought we looked a very good side,” said Moore. “There were a lot of young players but they are good players.

“The fielding was really good and the wicketkeeper [Jimmy Twemlow] was very good.”

Fourth-placed Stroud host Charlton Kings, who are one place below them in the 10-strong division, on Saturday.