born september cricketer represented england times order batsman taylor woman named cricketer year england batting decade 21st century played key role team world titles taylor play cricket age years later county debut initially considered wicket keeper limited batting ability taylor struggled break england team international debut years regular team unsuccessful world cup taylor left job time cricketer subsequent years developed leading batsmen women cricket failure world cup resumed career alongside cricket despite struggles world cup taylor continued improve batsman scored highest individual total lord cricket ground batting successes resulted short listed year won award leading run scorer world cup player tournament world later year consistent performed pair tournaments played england final summer cricket completed career batting averages excess test cricket biography early life career samantha born september sporting family father played rugby mother played hockey attended initially played participating girl school team taylor play cricket summer camp age improved level captained cricket team playing alongside boys subsequently moved short time finally primarily played hockey teenager represented england forward began playing women county cricket thames valley making debut taylor awarded place oxford study mathematics oxford taylor earned blues hockey half blues cricket played college men cricket team included later played county cricket matches time oxford taylor continued play thames valley scored maiden century women county championship scoring runs lancashire july highest score prior innings following year having graduated oxford second class honours degree taylor scored successive half centuries reaching sussex lancashire unbeaten making intermittent appearances england age group levels previous years september scored england touring south african included team women cricket world cup named non travelling reserve taylor said confirmed breakthrough senior squad international breakthrough april taylor travelled south_africa england squad competed women scoring half centuries competition international debut occurred later year fourth day international england australia playing specialist batsman taylor scored run heavy defeat england taylor finished women county championship strong batting performances struck second century scoring runs west followed runs surrey end english season kept wicket england match scoring unbeaten runs retained place england squad series touring indian team england struggled series taylor number inexperienced players squad failed seize chance according report taylor highest score series runs batting averages solitary test match subsequent english winter taylor touring party travelled australia new_zealand tour failure team lost international matches win warm match wellington taylor scored runs secured half century second new_zealand scoring runs opening innings series england batting described dismal half century tour reported giving taylor opportunity saving grace trip struggled runs series touring south runs innings english batting particularly order criticised conclusion series taylor struck century county match scoring runs surrey england slide international ladder continued women cricket world cup according batting taylor provided relief scored runs tournament average ranking batsmen struck century international cricket scoring sri_lanka shared partnership runs record fifth wicket women england failed qualify group stage competition time cricketer world cup taylor wanted focus desire best batsmen world order achieve decided time cricketer university joined earning assistant manager company contrast income cricket totalled order afford quit job parents england series world cup runners australia toured june july england batting remained unreliable australia won matches sides test matches taylor praised highlight english batting innings highest score second test significantly improved previous best test score runs batting hours gritty performance reach runs taylor missed tour india january injuring knee training session returned following summer string good performances super competition england place leading players teams trailing england team mate leading run scorer season new_zealand india taylor failed impact scoring runs total ahead tour england women new_zealand australia taylor competed day competition new_zealand canterbury finished tournament batsmen scoring runs average unfortunately england good form continue international matches seven matches scored runs continued struggle start english domestic season prompting report barely run county championship matches despite struggles survived overhaul england squad seven players toured australia new_zealand dropped faith shown striking centuries test matches south_africa score runs highest total test cricket scored half hours runs short highest england woman weeks later women scored centuries consecutive test matches scored runs performances series eye catching half century match helped finish second england leading run scorer taylor competed second consecutive year early finished second runs competition scoring runs average new_zealand travelled south_africa join england team scoring runs warm contest finished england second prolific run scorer edwards reached half century international matches england super competition taylor edwards headed batting tables taylor narrowly trailing international team mate terms runs scored ahead batting average having scored runs subsequent series new_zealand taylor scorer international match played gender despite quicker scoring nature game taylor praised measured batting placement england possessed greater depth batting making team reliant taylor edwards performances depth helped win series despite low scoring sequence matches taylor averaged preparation women cricket world cup south_africa taylor played final season runs average lowest achieved year competition short warm series south_africa enjoyed batting success scoring unbeaten runs round matches lost rain taylor struck highest score tournament england second match sri_lanka scored runs balls shared century partnerships edwards connor help england record large victory little impact india match scored south_africa new_zealand help ensure england qualification semi finals reported australia favourites semi final clash england taylor key players contest early loss taylor dismissed duck career england subsided wicket loss finished tournament batsmen runs scored average runs development world cup taylor england lack success sacrifices come talking realised needed work life balance amateur accepted reading orchestra early working performance management consultant english summer england hosted australia test matches limited overs contests tests formed england won test taylor scored patient runs innings shared partnership edwards pair fell quick succession england struggled second innings england required runs win order collapsed losing wickets fourteen runs taylor suffered duck match century rescued draw second test england won secure ashes taylor scored runs innings help england open run lead taylor finished match series england leading run scorer totalling runs average hitting half centuries matches praised daily_telegraph quality driving cutting scored runs fourth match level series taylor england difficult tour sri_lanka india late winning sri_lanka england drew test india lost series taylor scored runs seven matches scores test found batting form start english cricket season topping batting averages super competition scoring centuries half centuries matches facing touring indians later summer taylor small totals appearances scoring match innings solitary test reached fourth final century test match second innings scoring runs england potentially match winning position match finished draw game series featured describe taylor finest hour england shirt batting number taylor called early opening batsman edwards run dropped twice quick succession innings continued reach century balls having reached milestone scored rapidly remained end innings hitting ball innings score highest taylor career joint fourth highest total women cricket highest score match lord gender passing runs scored women series hosted india early taylor england best performer bat despite losing group matches finished tournament second runs player totalling scored half centuries teams competing australia india new_zealand scored unbeaten match australia relatively quiet domestic season ranking sixth run having passed runs despite ranking second runs scored batting average taylor scored half centuries appearances competition england started summer matches south_africa new_zealand taylor scores reach half century new_zealand scored sixth century format runs came deliveries series report suggests scoring rate slow new_zealand chased total fewer overs match taylor scored england attempted chase runs win eventually bowled runs short small totals matches series taylor finished leading run scorer series new_zealand superior batting average performances year august resulted taylor year award alongside australia eventual winner india voting period taylor scored centuries half centuries international cricket leading batsman england travelled australia new_zealand early attempting improve previous visits matches australia hosts previously england managed win new_zealand won contests england started badly losing warm matches significant margins falling runs short match opened series taylor scored england defeat runs balls similar score match hosts second match taylor edwards ducks heavy defeat england match series abandoned play taylor scored half century tour shared century partnership edwards help england secure lead series draw match contest australia won tie series sides met oval play test tour taylor edwards enjoyed successful partnership england innings taylor scored runs pair scored unbeaten half century second innings help england retain ashes taylor carried good form subsequent series new_zealand starting second leg trip half century new_zealand warm match acting captain england struggled taylor edwards reached double figures tourists suffered run loss following match taylor scored seventh international century career remaining england secured wicket win new_zealand scored half century series runs fifth finish england leading run scorer tour scoring runs average matches australia new_zealand playing match county championship campaign taylor scored runs balls team total batsman scored runs won wickets match series west_indies minimal impact described dominant best match subsequent series south_africa struck ball innings scored runs remaining matches series modest totals missing illness taylor reached landmark series summer making 100th appearance india match series england won taylor remained innings scoring runs following series introduced player rankings women cricket taylor batsmen double world champions england participated inaugural women world taylor identified england key players preview tournament set victory england opening match sri_lanka eighth century successive world cup matches sri_lanka asserted dominance second match india scoring quicker run ball help england chase modest total overs required bat pakistan dismissed new_zealand taylor helped secure england place final rapid runs including west_indies england final match group stages taylor scored runs dead rubber loss australia australia qualify final england final having restricted new_zealand england ahead required rate early early loss wicket brought taylor played attacking innings including bowled england won match wickets world champions taylor finished tournament leading run scorer having runs batting average highest batsmen runs england players named team tournament taylor international action came inaugural women world tournament held england despite required bat england opening match india second prolific batsmen competition finishing runs new_zealand group stage match sri_lanka taylor achieved highest score international cricket making unbeaten days later improved score reaching australia semi finals batting pair maintained run rate runs secure england place final facing new_zealand final england dismissed opponents runs total taylor scored england player score faster run ball taylor named player tournament having dismissed finished batting average england subsequent series australia taylor struggled runs scoring runs innings dismissed runs innings test match opted miss tour west_indies late focus work commitments later career taylor returned action england women world hosted west_indies england taylor struggled competition victory came south_africa eliminated tournament taylor scored runs tournament average later summer england hosted new_zealand taylor finished england leading run scorer series scoring runs average including half centuries matches series tour sri_lanka taylor started strongly scoring runs narrow victory hosts failed achieve double figures innings remainder tour taylor sustained shoulder injury second warm match subsequent tour australia ruled rest visit injury healed start season taylor failed significant impact england matches series new_zealand australia match claimed form runs balls help england big win india england won tournament closely followed equivalent taylor runs innings tournament finish run series won england conclusion series taylor announced retirement international cricket finished career batting averages excess test cricket time retirement trailed runs scored continued represent conclusion season playing style teenage years taylor considered better hockey player cricketer began playing thames valley considered wicket keeper average batting ability university began develop batting playing alongside men college different pace strength required men game meant learn play foot contrast women cricket generally played foot graduating university international debut england batted low order england having picked wicket keeper intent improving batting began coaching time unusual member england women team individual coaching sessions taylor pay meetings began working lane critical batting average sessions helped improve taylor mental approach batting making technical changes lane promoted use handed hockey style shots came naturally taylor peak intelligence help manipulate field interview described batting best awareness shape field spaces recognition taylor woman selected cricketer year editor years noted element political publicity seeking selection chosen merit pre eminent form game short listed won award named england women player year continuing success taylor appointed member order british empire new year honours list career topped batting rankings international cricket retirement test cricketer suggested guardian finest batsman women 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Claire Taylor