Leslie Payn was a left-arm spinner and very useful right-handed batsman who played for Natal between 1936-37 and 1952-53, and later he became a stalwart for many years for the Natal Country Districts and SA Country Districts teams. He had a sensational start to his first-class career in December, 1936. For Natal he grabbed 8-89 against Orange Free State the first time he bowled, followd by 3-120 and match-figures of 11-209. In his third match against arch-rivals Transvaal later that month he slammed 103, adding 240 for the seventh wicket with Dudley Nourse, who scored 260 not out. He finished his maiden season with 22 wickets (30.63). He toured England in 1947 as one of six spinners - the others were Athol Rowan, NBF "Tufty" Mann, Ian Smith, and part-timers Denis Begbie and Bruce Mitchell - but did not appear in any of the Test matches. He had a quiet tour, playing in only 10 of the 28 first-class matches, capturing 17 wickets at 33.58 and scoring 102 runs (11.33).