Claire Taylor, batsperson/wicketkeeper for the England Women's Cricket Team, has been named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year (there are 5 each year). The CricInfo story explains that she is the first woman ever to win the award.
I was aware of Claire Taylor in 2007, but like many only really started to take notice when she led her side to retain the Ashes in 2008 (and was interviewed slightly condescendingly by Jonathan Agnew from Test Match Special); at that moment I felt she should be recognised as a great cricketer, and I can't help but feel that this award is nothing more than she deserves.
The CricInfo story lists the achievements since then:
Taylor, 33, made 324 runs at 64.80 as England beat New Zealand by four wickets in Sydney to win the World Cup for the first time since 1993.
...
Taylor and the England team had been in magnificent form leading up to their World Cup triumph: early in 2008, they retained the Ashes by winning only their fourth Test in Australia; they then went through the entire summer undefeated. Taylor was instrumental in both achievements, and established herself as the leading batsman in women's cricket after sealing victory in the Bowral Test.
Her profile biography on CricInfo is also impressive, which includes eclipsing Viv Richards in One Day International matches...!
Also worth noting are the comments from Scyld Berry, the editor of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack:
Beating Australia in Australia is the objective for all cricketers, at least in England, and Claire almost single-handedly saw England through to victory and the retention of the Ashes in Australia last year, not to mention her success in the World Cup just a couple of weeks back. It would be a sin of omission, an act of prejudice, to exclude her from the accolade.
The England women have been the pride of the nation as far as cricket is concerned in recent years, and Claire's nomination as a Cricketer of the Year is testament to the sterling effort the ladies have consistently put in.
CricInfo has reported that women's cricket has received more funding and interest from the ECB since last year's Ashes win, so I am very hopeful that Claire Taylor and her teammates will be able to build on this success. I don't know who has the rights to the women's Tests at the moment (it's probably Sky Sports *urgh*) but hopefully it will get the profile it deserves in future.
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