13373/4BILL Frindall, BBC cricket statistician and member of the Test Match Special team for nearly 40 years, has been made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours announced on Saturday.

Mr Frindall, 64, who lives in Urchfont, near Devizes, with his wife Debbie and seven-year-old daughter Alice, has been involved in cricket statistics since he was ten.

On a rainy day, when playing cricket was out of the question, his teacher at a primary school in Surrey, brought his class inside and, using the blackboard, taught the secrets of scoring.

A few days later his aunt, with whom he was staying, shooed him out of the house across the road to watch a cricket match.

He said: "Someone came up to me and said, excuse me, sonny, our scorer hasn't turned up. Can you score? I didn't tell him I had only learned the previous Wednesday."

But the experience began a lifelong love of cricket and cricket statistics.

In 1958 Mr Frindall was called up for National Service and spent the next six years travelling the world with the RAF, spending a great deal of time playing cricket. After leaving the forces, he worked with Legal and General life assurance company.

In 1965 he read an obituary of Arthur Wriggley, who had been the BBC's scorer since 1934 and realised the situation was now vacant. He applied for the job and has been a stalwart of the Test Match Special team ever since.

The job brought him into contact with the legendary cricket commentator John Arlott whom, he recalls, approached him and said: "I hear you like driving. I like drinking. I think we'll get on very well."

Mr Frindall had a long and happy relationship with Mr Arlott and with his successor, Brian Johnston, who christened him the Bearded Wonder, or simply Bearders, which has stuck ever since.

Mr Frindall received a letter informing him of the impending honour in May. He said: "It is a nice thing to coincide with a test match, especially one which England won so convincingly. It should be a fillip to all scorers that a scorer has finally received an honour."

Another local celebrity to be recognised in the honours list is Anna Marsden, who is stepping down from the post of director of the Devizes-based Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation next month after 13 years in the post.

Mrs Marsden, who is to receive the OBE, was the first director of the Community Foundation when it was set up in 1991, combining the Thamesdown Community Trust and the Wiltshire Community Trust.

The aim was to help disadvantaged people by effectively targeting grant aid and by building a long-term investment fund.

Mrs Marsden said: "I am amazed and delighted by the honour. It underlines the strength of the Community Foundation and I hope all the team will feel part."

An OBE has also been awarded to Wing Commander Guy Edwards, who is second in command at RAF Lyneham, for his role in running the base during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The married father-of-four, who lives in Tockenham, near Wootton Bassett, said he was surprised but delighted at the award.

"It is fantastic reflection on the Air Force that personnel from the Air Transport Fleet are being honoured," he said.

"Many accolades tend to go to those on fast jets but we are always the first in and the last out and its good to see that it is being recognised."