Mansfield Hosiery Mills CC opener Patrick Delahunty, above, was named Owzat-Cricket Notts Premier League Player of the Month in July.

The wicket-keeper batsman rocketed up the NPL scoring charts thanks to scoring 337 runs at an average of 56.17, including a maiden NPL century against Radcliffe.    

Patrick, 20 a law student at Nottingham Trent University, put forward an unusual reason for his upturn in form. At the start of July he joined Nottinghamshire Police’s Operation Reacher team on their patrols and credits them with his high scores.  

He said: “I help out at radio station Mansfield 103.2FM during the holidays. They sent me out on patrol with the local police for a broadcast at the start of July and the pressure our officers face on a daily basis put the pressure I face opening the innings for Hosiery Mills into perspective.

“My form dramatically increased as a result. In my first game after the patrol I hit my maiden century so I’d like to thank the police.”

Patrick’s form alerted cricket-mad deputy leader of Ashfield District Council, Coun Tom Hollis.

Tom, a member of Nottinghamshire CCC, has pledged to match every run Patrick scores this season in the Notts Premier League with a pound from his councillor’s divisional funding.  The money will go towards improving facilities at the club which caters for boys and girls at under-11, under-15 and under-19 levels.

Coun Hollis added: “I hope any extra funding will help improve facilities at our amazing club.”