A high school student was ‘bowled over’ when she was presented with a cricket bat signed by an England star.

Momena Ahmed, a year 10 student at Blackburn Central High School, is a keen cricketer and represents her school in cricket, plus plays for a local team.

She met Mayor Cllr Suleman Khonat at an awards ceremony late last year when she and fellow students and staff won an award for the pioneering work they do in breaking down barriers and bringing different people together for a good cause. 

At the event, she spoke with the mayor about her passion for cricket and she obviously made a lasting impression on him as he turned up at Momena's school earlier this week to present her with a cricket bat, signed by England captain Ben Stokes.

After accepting the bat, Momena said: “I can’t believe he’s gone out of his way to get this bat for me.  I’m absolutely over the moon and very grateful to Mr Khonat for his kindness. 

“I love cricket, it’s my main hobby, so to have a bat signed by the England captain himself is huge and I’ll certainly treasure it.”

Headteacher Shanaz Hussain said: “We were delighted when the Mayor came in to visit us and thank him tremendously for Mr Khonat’s generosity.

“At Blackburn Central High School we’re passionate about developing the skills of our students and Momena plays a pivotal role in representing our school at cricket so this gift is very well deserved.”