CRICKET: Market Rasen scorer off to Lords

Shelley Clayton, 52, is to be the scorer for the Sri Lankan team at the one day 50 overs aside international at Lords against England on May 31.

Shelley, who works as a carer locally, has been the regular scorer for Lincolnshire in Minor Counties cricket for several years having started out doing the pen and ink work with the Market Rasen club.

She said: “I started scoring for Market Rasen while I was studying for my school O levels. I took some books and went down to the ground to do some revision and I ended up scoring and not revising.”

It soon became a hobby and from club games Shelley moved to the Lincolnshire scene and has scored county games for a number of years.

“I filled in initially for Les Harrison but about six years ago he became Lincolnshire President and left the scorebox leaving me to take over full time.”

“Thankfully the job is such that I can take time off to do my scoring.”

Shelley has met many famous players and Derek Randall the ex England batsman is one who comes to mind.

In recent years her Saturday scoring has been in the Lincs ECB League with Lincoln Lindum. After they were promoted last season Market Rasen, her home town and first club, will be in the same league and among the opposition in 2014.

But it is that May date that will be the big one this summer when Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, two of the world’s great batsmen, will be on her team sheet.

And who will she be supporting? She was not revealing whether England or Sri Lanka will be her favourites-after all you just don’t do that as a scorer.