Sarah Taylor (cricketer)

Playing career

The inclusion of Taylor and her future England team-mate Holly Colvin in the Brighton College boys' team caused some controversy within the MCC.

On 30 June 2009, she scored 120 at a run-a-ball in the 2nd One Day International at Chelmsford, overtaking Enid Bakewell's 118 in 1973 as the highest individual score against Australia by an Englishwoman. On 8 August 2008, she broke the record for the highest stand in women's One Day International cricket with a first wicket partnership of 268 with Caroline Atkins at Lord's for England against South Africa. She went on to score 129.

On 1 September 2008 she became the youngest woman cricketer to score 1000 runs in One Day Internationals when she scored 75 not out at Taunton in England's 10 wicket win against India. She reached 1000 runs when she had scored 16.

At the start of the cricket season she was the first woman player ever to play in the Darton first XI. She has also been joined at Darton by Katherine Brunt, England bowler.

She opened the batting for England in their victories in the 50 over World Cup in Australia and the World T20 in 2009. However, she pulled out of the England tours of 2010 and 2011, including the Ashes match in Australia.

She won the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year award in 2012 and 2013, and was the holder of one of the first tranche of 18 ECB central contracts for women players, which were announced in April 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/27291212|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|date=20 April 2015|access-date=6 May 2014

She was named as the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2014.

In 2015, she became the first woman to be inducted in the Legends Lane at the County Cricket Ground in Hove.

Also in 2015 she became the first woman to play men's grade cricket in Australia, when she appeared as wicketkeeper for Northern Districts against Port Adelaide at Salisbury Oval in South Australia's premier men's competition.

In May 2016, Taylor announced she had been suffering from anxiety which she said had been adversely affecting her cricket performance. She announced a break from playing to 'prolong her career'. She resumed playing in April 2017 and in June she was selected for the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup. In the tournament, she and Tammy Beaumont set the record for the highest 2nd-wicket partnership in Women's Cricket World Cup history (275) in a 68-run victory over South Africa. Taylor's innings of 147 was her career best in ODIs. Taylor was a member of the winning women's team at the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup held in England.

In December 2017, she was named as one of the players in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year. In February 2019, she was awarded a full central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for 2019. In June 2019, the ECB named her in England's squad for their opening match against Australia to contest the Women's Ashes.

In July 2019, ahead of the Women's Twenty20 International matches of the Women's Ashes, Taylor withdrew herself from England's squad, to take time away from the game, due to mental health issues. In September 2019, Taylor retired from international cricket due to her health issues.

Coaching career and playing comeback

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo in January 2021, Taylor hinted at the prospect of coming out of retirement. She said that "I've got my cricket bag at school, ready to have a net," but also "[wasn't] saying yes, [wasn't] saying no."

On 15 March 2021, Taylor made history as the first female specialist coach for a senior English men's county team after her appointment as wicketkeeping coach for Sussex. In April 2021, Taylor's return to playing was announced, as she was signed by Welsh Fire for the 2021 season of The Hundred. She also appeared for Sussex in the 2021 Women's Twenty20 Cup, and played for Northern Diamonds as an injury replacement player. In October 2021 Taylor was appointed as assistant coach at Team Abu Dhabi, working with Paul Farbrace and Lance Klusener.

In February 2022 it was announced that she had been appointed as assistant coach at Manchester Originals for the upcoming season of The Hundred, working with both the men's and the women's sides, and had not yet ruled out returning to playing.

Taylor was appointed as the England Lions wicket-keeping coach for their tour of South Africa in November 2024.

Awards

• ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year – 2012, 2013
• ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year – 2014

In November 2020, Taylor was nominated for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade.

References

References

1. "Sarah Taylor retires from international cricket". ESPNcricinfo.
2. "Has anyone won their first caps in all three formats quicker than Alana King?". ESPN Cricinfo.
3. Lightfoot, Liz. (25 July 2006). "Cricket girls defy their MCC critic". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
4. (8 August 2008). "Record falls as England women win". BBC.
5. (1 September 2008). "Taylor record sets up England win". BBC.
6. (24 August 2015). "Cricketer Sarah Taylor inducted into 'Legends Lane' at Hove". Bexhill Observer.
7. (13 December 2013). "Ashes captains Clarke and Cook both hit a ton and pick up an annual award". The Guardian.
8. "Sarah Taylor becomes first women cricketer to be inducted into Legends Lane at Hove – Latest Cricket News, Articles & Videos at". Cricketcountry.com.
9. (21 October 2015). "Sarah Taylor becomes first woman to play in men's grade cricket in Australia – Latest Cricket News, Articles & Videos at". Cricketcountry.com.
10. "Sarah Taylor: England keeper-batter takes indefinite break for personal reasons". BBC Sport.
11. "Sarah Taylor speaks about anxiety attacks". [[England and Wales Cricket Board.
12. "Sarah Taylor joins England women's training camp in UAE". BBC Sport.
13. "Highest partnerships by wicket". ESPNcricinfo.
14. Ehantharajah, Vithushan. (5 July 2017). "Sarah Taylor and Tammy Beaumont seal record England win over South Africa".
15. [http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8584/commentary/1085975/England-Women-vs-India-Women-Final-ICC-Women's-World-Cup-2017 Live commentary: Final, ICC Women's World Cup at London, Jul 23], ESPNcricinfo, 23 July 2017.
16. [https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/cricket/40035680 World Cup Final], ''BBC Sport'', 23 July 2017.
17. [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2017/jul/23/england-v-india-womens-world-cup-final-live England v India: Women's World Cup final – live!], ''The Guardian'', 23 July 2017.
18. "Ellyse Perry declared ICC's Women's Cricketer of the Year". ESPNcricinfo.
19. "Freya Davies awarded England Women contract ahead of India tour". ESPNcricinfo.
20. "Freya Davies 'thrilled' at new full central England contract". International Cricket Council.
21. "Fran Wilson called into England squad for Ashes ODI opener against Australia". ESPNcricinfo.
22. "England announce squad for opening Women's Ashes ODI". Times and Star.
23. "Women's Ashes: England's Sarah Taylor withdraws from Twenty20 series with Australia". BBC Sport.
24. "Sarah Taylor withdraws from England's T20 Ashes squad". ESPNcricinfo.
25. "Sarah Taylor: England wicketkeeper retires from international duty due to anxiety". BBC Sport.
26. "Sarah Taylor hasn't ruled out making a comeback".
27. "Sarah Taylor joins Sussex coaching ranks".
28. "Taylor joins Sussex coaching staff". BBC Sport.
29. "Taylor earns men's coaching role in English first".
30. "Sarah Taylor joins Sussex coaching staff".
31. Singh, Anirudh. "Sarah Taylor joins Sussex staff to become first female coach in men's cricket".
32. (6 April 2021). "Sarah Taylor to make cricket comeback with Welsh Fire in the Hundred". [[The Guardian]].
33. (10 June 2021). "Sarah Taylor joins Northern Diamonds". Northern Diamonds.
34. (22 February 2022). "The Hundred: Manchester Originals coach Sarah Taylor says women need to 'keep pushing' for roles in men's cricket". BBC Sport.
35. "Taylor joins England Lions tour as keeping coach". BBC Sport.
36. "Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, Joe Root nominated for ICC men's cricketer of the decade award". ESPN Cricinfo.
37. "ICC Awards of the Decade announced". International Cricket Council.