Sarah Taylor is assured of standing among the cricketing greats, certainly when it comes to the English game. She formed part of a generation that smashed through glass ceilings and broke down barriers.
Along the way, the highly skilled wicket-keeper-batter helped herself to a number of entries in the history books. Many of those will stand the test of time, while other targets are there to be chased down.
Prize
Happy birthday Sarah Taylor! 🐐
What @Sarah_Taylor30 moment would you like to see today? pic.twitter.com/CVjSAEDDHJ
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 20, 2021
One such record appears destined to be broken at the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
England, with an unfortunate track record of falling at the semi-final hurdle of late, head into that tournament with betting UK markets pricing them at +400 to claim the ultimate prize.
Perennial winners Australia are expected to go well once again, alongside the always competitive India, but sports betting tips foresee an epic battle for global supremacy.
England will believe that they have enough talent at their disposal to stake a serious claim for major honors. Their squad boasts both potential and pedigree, with it that carefully crafted blend that tends to deliver the best results.
In the experience pool sits a wicket-keeping hero for the present day. Where Taylor once provided the most reliable of options, Amy Jones now guards the stumps with impressive expertise.
Stepping into shoes as big as Taylor’s could be considered a thankless task, never mind trying to fill them. Jones, though, has picked up that baton and never looked back.
She said of having to follow in the footsteps of an all-time great: “I’m lucky enough to have been able to watch Sarah who has been the best in the world for so long and learn from her. Hopefully, I can take over and do a good job.”
Jones has done that and more. Her reflexes and handling skills have ensured that a smooth transition has been made from one era to the next.
In T20 circles, England have benefited considerably from Jones’ ability to send opponents back to the pavilion. Across 99 matches in that format, Jones has claimed 71 victims.
That haul of dismissals has her just three adrift of Taylor on the all-time chart, with a notable century and record-breaking achievement now within sight and reach – literally and figuratively.
With time still on her side, the opportunity is there for Jones to raise one particular wicket-taking bar to a height that few can ever dream of reaching.
Shadows
An impeccable display by Amy Jones behind the stumps 👏#ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/V42r54lJrP
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 9, 2023
Taylor may be nudged down the pecking order there, but she is not about to head into the shadows.
She remains the fastest cricketer, male or female, to earn their first cap in all three formats of the game – achieving that hat-trick in the space of just nine days back in 2006.
She is also a two-time ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year and nominee for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade.
Those prizes will be in Jones’ sights at some stage, but for now, she can console herself with the fact that she has become an apprentice overtaking the master when it comes to one element of her job.
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