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Sarah Taylor (cricketer)

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Sarah Taylor
A head and shoulders picture of a cricketer wearing a batting helmet
Taylor at the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup
Personal information
Full name
Sarah Jane Taylor
Born (1989-05-20) 20 May 1989 (age 35)
Whitechapel, London, England
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper-batter
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 146)8 August 2006 v India
Last Test18 July 2019 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 102)14 August 2006 v India
Last ODI7 July 2019 v Australia
ODI shirt no.30
T20I debut (cap 17)5 August 2006 v India
Last T20I21 June 2019 v West Indies
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2004–2021Sussex
2010/11–2011/12Wellington
2014/15–2015/16South Australia
2015/16Adelaide Strikers
2017Lancashire Thunder
2018–2019Surrey Stars
2021Northern Diamonds
2021Welsh Fire
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WT20I WLA
Matches 10 126 90 256
Runs scored 300 4,056 2,177 8,647
Batting average 18.75 38.26 29.02 41.97
100s/50s 0/0 7/20 0/16 13/54
Top score 40 147 77 147
Catches/stumpings 18/2 87/51 23/51 153/107
Source: CricketArchive, 28 September 2021

Sarah Jane Taylor (born 20 May 1989) is an English cricketer and cricket coach. She appeared in 10 Test matches, 126 One Day Internationals and 90 Twenty20 Internationals for England between 2006 and her retirement from international cricket in 2019 due to an anxiety issue.[1] Taylor is the fastest cricketer, male or female, to earn their first cap in all three formats of international cricket, doing so in the space of nine days against India in 2006.[2]

She has played domestic cricket for Sussex, Lancashire Thunder, Surrey Stars, Northern Diamonds, Welsh Fire, Wellington, South Australia and Adelaide Strikers. She is a wicket-keeper-batter known for her free-flowing stroke play, opening the batting in limited-overs matches and batting in the middle order in Test cricket.

Playing career

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The inclusion of Taylor and her future England team-mate Holly Colvin in the Brighton College boys' team caused some controversy within the MCC.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.

Sarah Taylor & Ebony Rainford-Brent of England in March 2009 at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup held in Sydney

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,[6][7] and was the holder of one of the first tranche of 18 ECB central contracts for women players, which were announced in April 2014.[8]

She was named as the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2014.[6]

In 2015, she became the first woman to be inducted in the Legends Lane at the County Cricket Ground in Hove.[9][6]

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.[10]

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'.[11][12] She resumed playing in April 2017 and in June she was selected for the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup.[13] 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.[14] Taylor's innings of 147 was her career best in ODIs.[15] Taylor was a member of the winning women's team at the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup held in England.[16][17][18]

In December 2017, she was named as one of the players in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year.[19] In February 2019, she was awarded a full central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for 2019.[20][21] In June 2019, the ECB named her in England's squad for their opening match against Australia to contest the Women's Ashes.[22][23]

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.[24][25] In September 2019, Taylor retired from international cricket due to her health issues.[26]

Coaching career and playing comeback

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In an interview with ESPNcricinfo in January 2021, Taylor hinted at the prospect of coming out of retirement.[27] She said that "I've got my cricket bag at school, ready to have a net,"[27] but also "[wasn't] saying yes, [wasn't] saying no."[27]

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.[28][29][30][31][32] In April 2021, Taylor's return to playing was announced, as she was signed by Welsh Fire for the 2021 season of The Hundred.[33] She also appeared for Sussex in the 2021 Women's Twenty20 Cup, and played for Northern Diamonds as an injury replacement player.[34] In October 2021 Taylor was appointed as assistant coach at Team Abu Dhabi, working with Paul Farbrace and Lance Klusener.[35]

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.[35]

Taylor was appointed as the England Lions wicket-keeping coach for their tour of South Africa in November 2024.[36]

Awards

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In November 2020, Taylor was nominated for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade.[37][38]

Personal life

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On 21 February 2023, she announced that her partner, Diana, was pregnant with their first child.[39]

References

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  1. ^ "Sarah Taylor retires from international cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  2. ^ "Has anyone won their first caps in all three formats quicker than Alana King?". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  3. ^ Lightfoot, Liz (25 July 2006). "Cricket girls defy their MCC critic". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 July 2008.
  4. ^ "Record falls as England women win". BBC Sport. BBC. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
  5. ^ "Taylor record sets up England win". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
  6. ^ a b c "Cricketer Sarah Taylor inducted into 'Legends Lane' at Hove". Bexhill Observer. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  7. ^ "Ashes captains Clarke and Cook both hit a ton and pick up an annual award". The Guardian. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  8. ^ "England women earn 18 new central contracts". BBC Sport. BBC. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Sarah Taylor becomes first women cricketer to be inducted into Legends Lane at Hove – Latest Cricket News, Articles & Videos at". Cricketcountry.com. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Sarah Taylor becomes first woman to play in men's grade cricket in Australia – Latest Cricket News, Articles & Videos at". Cricketcountry.com. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Sarah Taylor: England keeper-batter takes indefinite break for personal reasons". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  12. ^ "Sarah Taylor speaks about anxiety attacks". European Central Bank. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Sarah Taylor joins England women's training camp in UAE". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Highest partnerships by wicket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  15. ^ Ehantharajah, Vithushan (5 July 2017). "Sarah Taylor and Tammy Beaumont seal record England win over South Africa". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  16. ^ Live commentary: Final, ICC Women's World Cup at London, Jul 23, ESPNcricinfo, 23 July 2017.
  17. ^ World Cup Final, BBC Sport, 23 July 2017.
  18. ^ England v India: Women's World Cup final – live!, The Guardian, 23 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Ellyse Perry declared ICC's Women's Cricketer of the Year". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  20. ^ "Freya Davies awarded England Women contract ahead of India tour". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  21. ^ "Freya Davies 'thrilled' at new full central England contract". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  22. ^ "Fran Wilson called into England squad for Ashes ODI opener against Australia". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  23. ^ "England announce squad for opening Women's Ashes ODI". Times and Star. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  24. ^ "Women's Ashes: England's Sarah Taylor withdraws from Twenty20 series with Australia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  25. ^ "Sarah Taylor withdraws from England's T20 Ashes squad". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  26. ^ "Sarah Taylor: England wicketkeeper retires from international duty due to anxiety". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  27. ^ a b c "Sarah Taylor hasn't ruled out making a comeback". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  28. ^ "Sarah Taylor joins Sussex coaching ranks". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  29. ^ "Taylor joins Sussex coaching staff". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  30. ^ "Taylor earns men's coaching role in English first". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Sarah Taylor joins Sussex coaching staff". www.icc-cricket.com. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  32. ^ Singh, Anirudh. "Sarah Taylor joins Sussex staff to become first female coach in men's cricket". CricketTimes.com. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  33. ^ "Sarah Taylor to make cricket comeback with Welsh Fire in the Hundred". The Guardian. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  34. ^ "Sarah Taylor joins Northern Diamonds". Northern Diamonds. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  35. ^ a b "The Hundred: Manchester Originals coach Sarah Taylor says women need to 'keep pushing' for roles in men's cricket". BBC Sport. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  36. ^ "Taylor joins England Lions tour as keeping coach". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  37. ^ "Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, Joe Root nominated for ICC men's cricketer of the decade award". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  38. ^ "ICC Awards of the Decade announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  39. ^ "Former England cricketer Sarah Taylor announces partner's pregnancy, says 'happy to be a part of it'". The Indian Express. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
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Further reading

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