AS a run is scored at Manuka Oval and the crowd cheers, a group of six men sit in the hot, stuffy scoreboard, ticking over the score.

And although they’ve got one of the best views of the game from the three-storey board, there’s no time to sit back and relax.

Manuka Oval venue manager Matthew Tokley describes the internal area as a “spare bike parts store” – “it’s pretty quaint in this day and age,” he says.

Built in 1901, the scoreboard’s original home was the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but was donated to Manuka Oval in 1983 when the MCG received an updated model.

While AFL games only require one or two men, cricket matches need six to keep up with the score.

“It’s an intensive operation, particularly when there’s lots of runs scored quickly and wickets getting out, it certainly keeps them on their toes,” says Matthew.

“Each one of the shutters on the scoreboard opens up on a hinge, on a door, they actually have those shutters down so they can watch the game. The score updates by two rollers which have the numbers printed on them, and they’ve got a head scorer in there who will keep score and yell out instructions.”

Brian Richings has been operating the scoreboard since it first arrived at Manuka Oval 29 years ago. An avid cricket fan, Brian says he loves the job, and has “never once made a mistake”.

“I like that you get to see all the action and the up-and-comers… I remember seeing a young Ricky Ponting play before he got famous,” he recalls.

With no air conditioning, the three-level scoreboard can get “stifling,” says Brian, but there’s always plenty of water on hand.

“There’s 35-degree days and since the scoreboard is black it can be a few degrees warmer in there,” he says.

He says having a manual scoreboard is “a rare thing” in Australia and hopes it won’t get updated anytime soon.

“It’s such a unique structure, I think only a few other cities have one,” he says.

“It’s a fun job to do, and we’re all friends, we give each other a bit of cheek.”

The Prime Minister’s XI v the West Indies will be played on Tuesday, January 29, the first official match played under lights at Manuka Oval.

Photos by Silas Brown.