A cricket club is hoping people will stump up some cash after players bared nearly all for a charity calendar.

Newington’s finest required varying degrees of encouragement to strip off to help raise funds for Demelza Hospice Care for Children.

Colin Creasy, the club’s social secretary, thought he might have struggled for volunteers after deciding to pursue the idea.

“I was originally working on getting six or seven and I put it on Facebook and got 14,” he said.

“A couple did drop out so we had 12.

“Some people were a lot more keen to get their clothes off and literally did not need to be asked.”

The 2017 Bums and Torsos calendar tells the story of a day of cricket, with images detailing everything from preparing the ground to after-match drinks.

Players, who are from Sittingbourne and Medway, were allowed to wear their club caps, sunglasses, boots and cricket equipment, but nothing else.

The snaps were taken by Michelle Delamare-Timms at Bobbing Court Cricket Club, where Newington play their home games.

“The photoshoot was at the end of June, and it wasn’t a particularly nice day, quite
overcast,” Colin said.

“We have a public right of way across the ground but not that many people use it so we didn’t have problems with overlooking.

“There were only a couple of photos that had to be re-taken because things were in the wrong place.

“Lots of air-brushing went on afterwards – and I do not mean making our waists thinner.”

The completed calendar was picked up from the printers on August 5.

“We’ve had a really positive response,” added Colin. “The target is to raise £1,000 and we’re well on the way to that already.”

The club have been supporting the hospice, which is just a few hundred yards along the road from Bobbing Court, for about seven years.

Anyone who wants a copy of the calendar, for £7 plus the cost of postage and packaging, should call Colin on 07989 726292. All proceeds will go to Demelza.