Shrewsbury's Eve Jones first to be inducted into Cricket Shropshire Hall of Fame

She was in attendance on the night at Shrewsbury Town’s Montgomery Waters Meadow and was presented with a framed copy of the citation which will hang on the wall at Board’s offices as part of the Hall of Fame.

Cricket Shropshire Lead Officer Steve Reese said: “We have a record had a record of producing top quality cricketers in Shropshire, and we decided it was time to start recognising their achievements through the Hall of Fame.

“Eve was an obvious choice to be the first as she has been a trailblazer since she was a youngster and has been a great ambassador for Shropshire.

“She also continues to play an active part in cricket in the county in many guises, whether playing for her home town club, leading County age group teams, coaching on the pathway, tutoring future coaches or as has happened this season opening pavilion refurbishments.

“We are so fortunate to have such a fine individual as Eve in this County and it is only right and fitting that she became the first inductee into the Cricket Shropshire Hall of Fame.”

The citation said: “Eve has been a trailblazer since a young age when she was one of the first players on the Shropshire Girls Age Group pathway.

“Her cricketing journey started, inevitably perhaps as a member of the Jones family, at Heath Road in Whitchurch.

“After Age Group cricket, she made her full Shropshire debut in 2008 against Northamptonshire and top scored with a half century. Over the next four years she became established in the side and was the leading run scorer in both 2010 and 2011.

“From 2012 she moved up a level to Staffordshire for four years, leading the run scoring charts there in three successive seasons.

“Next move was to Lancashire where she was a member of the side which won the County Championship and Twenty20 Cup double in 2017. In 2018 she became captain and 2019 led them to second in the County Championship.

“Along the way, she played in the early days of the Women’s Super League for both Loughborough Lightning and then Lancashire Thunder, again helping to set the standard for women’s cricket

“With the move to make the Women’s game more professional, Eve was trailblazing again, unveiled as one of the first players to sign one of the new regional professional contracts with West Midlands Cricket in 2020.

“This saw her switch to play for Warwickshire, Central Sparks and Birmingham Phoenix in the newly-created The Hundred.

“Eve was named as Central Sparks skipper for Covid-hit 2020 and was her side’s top run scorer in the Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy with 334 runs at 66.80 including a career-equalling top score of 115 not out against Lightning.

“In a stellar campaign in 2021, she was the third top scorer in the Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy in the country leading the Sparks, and led the run scoring charts in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

In the inaugural Hundred for Birmingham Phoenix (trailblazing again), she was fourth in the run scoring charts for the whole tournament – including the overseas stars.

“It was these performances which saw her rated as the first-ever PCA Women’s Overall Domestic MVP, and then voted as the PCA Player of the Year by her peers.

“Her consistent run scoring at the top of the order saw her earn a contract for the Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash League for 2021/22 and then selection as the England A captain for their tour of Australia.

“In amongst all these commitments, she still manages to occasionally turn out for Whitchurch – most recently in the Birmingham League play-offs.

“She is also qualified coach and coach mentor, helping out with courses in Shropshire, and has been involved with Shropshire Age Group sides in recent seasons, and has also agreed to an ambassadorial role with Cricket Shropshire.

“Just recently, she has signed a two-year contract extension with the Sparks to continue her cricketing journey.

“Congratulations to Eve for all she has achieved and contributed towards cricket in Shropshire.”