Shropshire County Cricket Club Women’s opening bat, Naomi Payne, steered the county to victory over Oxfordshire in their first fixture of the season yesterday with a measured 66, and earned fifty pounds for the NSPCC in Shropshire as a result.
Naomi, a Sports Science student at Walford & North Shropshire College, is being sponsored £50 for the NSPCC for every fifty runs she scores in competitive county and club cricket during the 2009 season.
The award-winning all-rounder plays for Shropshire Women, Quatt Ladies and Oswestry Cricket Club, where she turned out for the men’s second XI last Saturday.
Naomi’s mother, Shropshire businesswoman, Jools Payne, is a founder member of the newly formed NSPCC Shropshire Business Group, and is sponsoring her daughter’s fifties. She expressed delight at the early boost to the NSPCC’s coffers.
Jools said: “It was a great knock. I am absolutely delighted that Naomi’s first county outing of the season put £50 towards a charity that does truly wonderful work with very vulnerable children in Shropshire.
“If Naomi plays every game with the tenacity and toughness she showed yesterday it’s going to end up costing me a fortune…but it will be well worth it!
Any business in Shropshire regardless of turnover or number of employees can become a member of the NSPCC Shropshire Business Group, Members receive exclusive invitations to business and social networking events to raise money for the NSPCC that directly benefits children and young people in Shropshire.
Any organisation interested in joining the NSPCC Shropshire Business Group is asked to contact Nick Jones, St.
James’s Place Partnership on 01743 240968 or email nick.jones@sjpp.co.uk.
