Claire Taylor
Encyclopedia
Samantha Claire Taylor MBE
(born 25 September 1975 at Amersham
, Buckinghamshire) is a former English cricket
er and retired member of the England women's team
. A determined batsman, with almost 3,500 runs in over a hundred One Day International appearances, she was the top ranked female ODI batsman in the world going into the 2009 Women's World Cup. During that competition she scored her 8th ODI century, a record in the women's game.
and Kendrick School
before reading mathematics at the Queen's College, Oxford
, where she won three blues for hockey and captained the university hockey team, and three half blues for cricket. In addition to her sporting achievements, she is also an accomplished violinist and has a Masters degree in Mathematics. After Oxford, Taylor took up a job in IT management.
She compiled her first test century against Australia at Headingley in 2001 and scored 177 and 131 in the first two tests against South Africa in 2003. In the first women's One Day International against India
on 14 August 2006, Taylor became the first woman to score a century at Lord's, and the highest limited-overs score at Lord's, with 156 not out off 151 balls. In 2005, Taylor was the leading run-scorer in the NatWest Women's Series, scoring 325 in five innings.
She was an integral part of England's World Cup winning team in 2009, being named player of the tournament after scoring 324 runs, with a top score of 101, at an average of 64.80.
Taylor was listed among the 2009 Wisden Cricketers of the Year
, the first woman to receive this accolade in the 120 year history of the award.
She was not a natural batsman at the start of her career and had to work very hard with batting coach Mark Lane
at improving her action.
She was player of the series as England won the inaugural Women's World Twenty/20 Competition in England in June 2009. A vital knock of 76 not out from 53 balls enabled England to overhaul Australia in the semi finals and she top scored in the final with 39 not out in the 6 wicket defeat of New Zealand. Overall she scored 199 runs in 5 matches, being dismissed on just one occasion.
Taylor was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.
After helping England win the Natwest Quadrangular ODI trophy in July 2011 she announced her retirement from international cricket. Clare Connor, head of Women's cricket at the ECB, praised her contribution to the game in glowing terms. "Her incomparable hunger to always improve, hard work, focus and mental toughness have combined to make her the best batter in the women's game...Claire has earned the respect of all who have played with her, against her, or who have had the pleasure of watching her."
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 25 September 1975 at Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
, Buckinghamshire) is a former English cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and retired member of the England women's team
English women's cricket team
The England women's cricket team played their first Test match in 1934–35, when they beat Australia 2–0 in a three-Test series. Their current captain is Charlotte Edwards, replacing Clare Connor after her five-year tenure, which she finished by leading England to their first Ashes series win since...
. A determined batsman, with almost 3,500 runs in over a hundred One Day International appearances, she was the top ranked female ODI batsman in the world going into the 2009 Women's World Cup. During that competition she scored her 8th ODI century, a record in the women's game.
Early life
Taylor attended Dolphin School in Berkshire, The Abbey SchoolThe Abbey School
The Abbey School is an independent selective day school for girls, in Reading, Berkshire, England. The school has Church of England traditions, although it accepts girls of all faiths...
and Kendrick School
Kendrick School
Kendrick Girls' Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar secondary foundation school situated in the centre of Reading, Berkshire, UK. In 2010 Kendrick became an Academy.-History:...
before reading mathematics at the Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
, where she won three blues for hockey and captained the university hockey team, and three half blues for cricket. In addition to her sporting achievements, she is also an accomplished violinist and has a Masters degree in Mathematics. After Oxford, Taylor took up a job in IT management.
Professional career
Taylor abandoned her IT job in 2001 to play cricket full time; as this greatly reduced her income, she had to go back to live with her parents to get by.She compiled her first test century against Australia at Headingley in 2001 and scored 177 and 131 in the first two tests against South Africa in 2003. In the first women's One Day International against India
Indian women's cricket team
The Indian women's cricket team played their first Test match in 1976/1977, when they drew with the West Indies in a six-match series. They performed better than expected in the last Women's Cricket World Cup, reaching the finals but then losing to Australia. In 2005 they won their second Women's...
on 14 August 2006, Taylor became the first woman to score a century at Lord's, and the highest limited-overs score at Lord's, with 156 not out off 151 balls. In 2005, Taylor was the leading run-scorer in the NatWest Women's Series, scoring 325 in five innings.
She was an integral part of England's World Cup winning team in 2009, being named player of the tournament after scoring 324 runs, with a top score of 101, at an average of 64.80.
Taylor was listed among the 2009 Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
, the first woman to receive this accolade in the 120 year history of the award.
She was not a natural batsman at the start of her career and had to work very hard with batting coach Mark Lane
Mark Lane (English cricketer)
Mark Geoffrey Lane is a retired English cricketer, who is now the head coach of the England women's cricket team.Lane made six appearances in List A cricket for Berkshire County Cricket Club between 1996 and 2001, scoring 74 runs and claiming 13 dismissals as wicket-keeper...
at improving her action.
She was player of the series as England won the inaugural Women's World Twenty/20 Competition in England in June 2009. A vital knock of 76 not out from 53 balls enabled England to overhaul Australia in the semi finals and she top scored in the final with 39 not out in the 6 wicket defeat of New Zealand. Overall she scored 199 runs in 5 matches, being dismissed on just one occasion.
Taylor was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.
After helping England win the Natwest Quadrangular ODI trophy in July 2011 she announced her retirement from international cricket. Clare Connor, head of Women's cricket at the ECB, praised her contribution to the game in glowing terms. "Her incomparable hunger to always improve, hard work, focus and mental toughness have combined to make her the best batter in the women's game...Claire has earned the respect of all who have played with her, against her, or who have had the pleasure of watching her."