Claire Taylor facts for kids

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Claire Taylor

Personal information
Full name	Samantha Claire Taylor
Born	(1975-09-25) 25 September 1975 (age 49) Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England
Batting	Right-handed
Role	Batter, occasional wicket-keeper
International information
National side	England (1998–2011)
Test debut (cap 127)	15 July 1999 v India
Last Test	10 July 2009 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 78)	19 July 1998 v Australia
Last ODI	7 July 2011 v Australia
ODI shirt no.	6
T20I debut (cap 11)	5 August 2004 v New Zealand
Last T20I	27 June 2011 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1993–1999	Thames Valley
2000–2011	Berkshire
2002/03–2004/05	Canterbury
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI T20I WLA Matches 15 126 27 298 Runs scored 1,030 4,101 615 10,369 Batting average 41.20 40.20 27.95 43.02 100s/50s 4/2 8/23 0/3 17/66 Top score 177 156* 76* 156* Balls bowled – – – 578 Wickets – – – 3/26 Bowling average – – – 23.27 5 wickets in innings – – – 0 10 wickets in match – – – 0 Best bowling – – – 3/26 Catches/stumpings 18/0 41/5 12/2 114/57
Source: CricketArchive, 14 March 2021

Samantha Claire Taylor, born on 25 September 1975, is a famous former cricket player. She played for the England team over 150 times between 1998 and 2011. Claire was a top batter and was the first woman to be named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

She was a key player for England's batting for many years. Claire helped her team win two big world titles in 2009. She was also inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in July 2018.

Claire Taylor's Early Life

Samantha Claire Taylor was born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England. Her family loved sports; her dad played rugby and her mom played hockey. Claire went to Dolphin School where she first played softball. She was the only girl on the school team.

Claire did not start playing cricket until she was 13 years old. But she quickly became very good at it. She even became the captain of the Dolphin School cricket team, playing with the boys. Later, she played county cricket for Thames Valley starting in 1993.

College and First Century

In 1994, Claire went to The Queen's College, Oxford to study Mathematics. At Oxford, she played both hockey and cricket. She even played for the college's men's cricket team. While at Oxford, she scored her first century (100 runs) in county cricket in 1996. She scored 109 runs for Thames Valley.

After graduating in 1997, Claire kept playing well. She scored several half-centuries (50 runs) for Thames Valley. She also played for England's younger teams. In 1997, she scored 85 runs for England Under-21s. This showed she was ready for the senior team.

Becoming an International Player

In 1998, Claire Taylor made her first appearance for the full England team. This was during a One Day International (ODI) match against Australia. She played as a specialist batter. After this, she continued to play well in county matches, scoring another century.

In 1999, she played against India. She was still a new player and found it tough. But she kept working hard. In 1999–2000, she toured Australia and New Zealand. England's team struggled, but Claire scored 56 runs against New Zealand. This was one of the few good batting performances on the tour.

First International Century

England's team faced challenges in the 2000 Women's Cricket World Cup. However, Claire Taylor was a standout player. She scored 267 runs in the tournament. She made her first century in international cricket, scoring 137 runs without being out against Sri Lanka. She also made a record partnership of 188 runs with Jane Cassar.

Claire Becomes a Full-Time Cricketer

After the 2000 World Cup, Claire Taylor wanted to be one of the best batters in the world. To do this, she decided to become a full-time cricketer. She left her well-paying job as an IT assistant manager. This was a big change, as her cricket earnings were much lower. She even moved back in with her parents to make it work.

In 2001, England played against Australia. Claire was the only bright spot for England's batting. She scored 50 runs without being out in one of the matches. In a Test match, she batted for over four hours and scored 137 runs. This was a big improvement for her.

Claire Taylor and Charlotte Edwards (pictured) were England's top run-scorers for many years.

Claire missed a tour to India in 2002 due to a knee injury. But she came back strong in the summer. She played well in the Super Fours competition, which helps England choose its best players. In 2003, she scored centuries in two Test matches against South Africa. Her score of 177 runs was her highest in Test cricket. She was one of only five women to score centuries in two Test matches in a row.

Playing in New Zealand

In 2004, Claire played in New Zealand's State League competition. She was one of the top batters there. She then joined the England team in South Africa. She was the second-highest run-scorer for England, after Charlotte Edwards. Back in England, she and Edwards continued to be the top batters in the Super Fours.

Claire also played in the first ever Twenty20 International match for England. She was the top-scorer in that game. Her smart batting and shot placement were praised.

Continued Improvement and Records

In 2005, Claire played her last season in New Zealand's State League. She then played in the 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup in South Africa. She scored 136 runs against Sri Lanka, which was the highest score in the tournament at that time. She also scored 55 runs against South Africa and 46 against New Zealand. Claire finished as one of the top three batters in the tournament.

After the World Cup, Claire felt disappointed. She decided to find a better work–life balance. She joined the Reading Orchestra as a violinist and worked as a consultant.

Ashes Success and Lord's Record

In 2005, England played Australia for The Women's Ashes. England had not won the Ashes since 1963. Claire helped England win the Ashes by scoring 43 runs in the second Test. She was also England's top run-scorer in the ODI series against Australia. She scored 116 runs in one match to help level the series.

Claire Taylor batting for England in 2011.

In 2006, Claire had a great season. She scored two centuries and two half-centuries in the Super Fours competition. Later that summer, against India, she scored her fourth and final century in a Test match, making 115 runs.

In an ODI match against India, Claire had one of her best moments. She scored 156 runs without being out. This was her highest ODI score ever. It is also the highest score made in an ODI match at Lord's Cricket Ground by any player, male or female!

Top Performer

In 2007, Claire was England's best batter in a tournament in India. She scored 346 runs, including a century against Australia. She also scored her sixth ODI century against New Zealand. Her great performances led to her being nominated for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award.

Becoming a Leading Batter

In 2008, England toured Australia and New Zealand. Claire helped England keep the Ashes by scoring 79 runs and an unbeaten half-century in the Test match. She continued her good form against New Zealand, scoring her seventh international century (111 runs not out). She was England's top run-scorer on the tour.

Claire also played her 100th ODI match against India. She scored 125 runs without being out in three innings. After this series, the ICC started player rankings for women's ODI cricket, and Claire Taylor was ranked as the top batter.

Double World Champion in 2009

The year 2009 was amazing for Claire Taylor and England. They played in the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup and the first ever 2009 ICC Women's World Twenty20. Claire was a key player for England.

World Cup Victory

In the World Cup, Claire scored her eighth ODI century against Sri Lanka. She also scored 69 runs against India and 65 runs against the West Indies. In the final, England beat New Zealand to become ODI world champions. Claire was the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 324 runs. She was also named in the team of the tournament.

Claire Taylor batting against Sri Lanka during the 2009 Women's World Twenty20.

World Twenty20 Success

Claire also shined in the 2009 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in England. She was the second-highest run-scorer. She made her highest Twenty20 International score of 75 runs not out against Sri Lanka. Five days later, she scored 76 runs not out against Australia in the semi-finals.

In the final, England beat New Zealand. Claire top-scored for England with 39 runs not out. She was named the player of the tournament. She was only dismissed once in the whole tournament!

Later Career and Retirement

In 2010, Claire played in the 2010 ICC Women's World Twenty20 in the West Indies. England struggled in this tournament. Later that summer, England hosted New Zealand. Claire was England's top run-scorer in the ODI series. She scored 166 runs, including two half-centuries.

Claire got a shoulder injury during a tour of Australia in 2010–11, which kept her out of action. She recovered for the 2011 season. She played well in the Twenty20 Quadrangular series, scoring 66 runs against India. England won this tournament and also the following ODI Quadrangular.

After these tournaments, Claire Taylor announced her retirement from international cricket. She ended her career with impressive batting averages in both Test and ODI cricket. At the time she retired, only Charlotte Edwards had scored more ODI runs for England. She continued to play for Berkshire until the end of 2011.

How Claire Taylor Played Cricket

When Claire was younger, people thought she was a better hockey player than cricketer. When she started playing county cricket, she was mainly a wicket-keeper and an average batter. At university, she started to improve her batting by playing with men. This helped her learn to play shots off the back foot.

Claire also got special one-on-one coaching. This was unusual for women's cricket at the time. Her coach helped her improve her batting skills and her mental approach to the game. Claire was very smart when batting. She could see where the open spaces were on the field to hit the ball.

Awards and Recognition

Claire Taylor made history in 2009 by becoming the first woman to be named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year. This award is given to the best cricketers. The editor of Wisden said she was chosen because she was the best in her sport.

She was also nominated for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award in 2007 and 2008. She won this big award in 2009. In May 2009, she was named the England and Wales Cricket Board's Women's Player of the Year.

In 2010, Claire was given an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) award. This is a special honor from the British government. During her career, she was ranked as the top batter in both ODI and Twenty20 International cricket. Many people, including former Test cricketer Mike Selvey, believe she was one of the greatest women batters ever.

See also

• List of centuries in women's One Day International cricket
• List of centuries in women's Test cricket