Capturing the moment with FrogBox

FrogBox and their streaming kits are providing clubs with professional-quality live footage and ensuring nobody ever forgets the special moments

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Amateur cricket is full of memorable moments. But, for many clubs, reminiscing is the only form of record available. However, Berkshire Cricket Foundation, through their FrogBox streaming kit, can easily capture and remember these special moments.

These kits enable any club to easily livestream their fixtures online. They also link up with Play-Cricket.com and the Play-Cricket Live app to automatically generate in-match highlights so viewers can go back to watch boundaries, wickets or milestones.

Berkshire Cricket Foundation cricket manager Adam Davidson picks out one memorable moment in particular that would have been consigned to history had it not been captured.

^{All the equipment can be easily transported}

“In a junior game, a lad dropped a caught-and-bowled chance that went straight up high. The batsman had assumed he was going to be out and had started walking off while the other was ball-watching. The bowler dropped the catch, it bounced off his thigh, went to another fielder and the batsman was run out. The umpire who was scoring fell over laughing. It was one of those moments you wouldn’t believe unless you saw it.

“Since getting a FrogBox streaming kit at the start of last summer we have been using it for matches in our various participation programmes, such as MCC Foundation hub and city hub matches.

“We’re looking into getting several more this year.”

Each kit includes a Panasonic camcorder, 4.5m mast for elevated capture, a rechargeable battery that can last up to 20 hours and a sturdy case that fits all cables and devices. FrogBox also provide the necessary technology to process and stream footage live.

The ease of set-up and maintenance is a particularly appealing feature.

^{Clubs across the world are capturing their matches at all levels}

“All the games we streamed last year I was coaching as well as umpiring, so had plenty of other things to do. But it only takes 15 minutes to set it all up and start the online stream. Once you get used to it it’s really quick and easy.”

But perhaps the feature that most lends FrogBox’s streaming kit to club cricket is the link with the Play-Cricket scoring app.

Users simply score a match on the app as they usually would, but the streaming technology takes the information and overlays it on the video, resulting in smart-looking graphics that resemble those seen on TV.

^{The 2020 Village Cup final was live-streamed from Lord's using FrogBox equipment}

Sponsors’ logos can also be placed on the stream, giving clubs a significant boost when applying for sponsorship. The limitless nature of digital media means that any viral clips would have the club sponsor on show. And the ability to post clips on social media grow clubs’ reach exponentially.

And Davidson can operate all of this while standing in his umpire’s position.

“I’m usually stood doing the scoring there and then on my phone. It’s simply one additional button I have to press when the bowler starts his run-up to signify the start of the clip if there is a highlight such as a boundary or wicket. It’s totally straightforward.

“The kids absolutely love it. You can get the camera to be right above the bowler’s arm, like on TV, and most of them have never seen themselves play on video before, let alone from this prime angle. It’s very different from having a camera at ground level at deep midwicket.”

^{The graphics replicated TV broadcasts and have space for sponsor logos}

Looking ahead to the 2021 summer, Berkshire are planning on purchasing more kits, so that multiple matches across the junior and men’s and women’s performance sides can be streamed at once.

And it is at this higher performance level that the ability to easily stream and rewatch games will become particularly useful.

“Berkshire are twinned with neighbours Middlesex at the performance level. Our academies are linked,” Davidson explains. “They’ve had a handful of players come through the Berkshire system and onto the Middlesex academy, then onto higher honours.

“Having this streaming set-up would mean Middlesex could have a real good look at our players without necessarily having to send someone down.

“It will be good fun for these players in a few years to look back on their performances for Berkshire, especially if any of them go onto big things.”

To find out more about FrogBox, visit www.frogbox.live