England wicket keeper Sarah Taylor is arguably one of the best female cricketers in the history of the ladies game and she could make history this summer by becoming the first woman to play men’s second XI county cricket.
Taylor has recently signed for Walmley Cricket Club which is an established club in the Birmingham and District Premier League. She hopes that her presence will help the club’s three sections flourish during the 2013 season.
Chairman of Ladies Cricket, Neil Alsop said that the club are “delighted” with their new signing and feels that the 23 year old will have an impact both on and off the field.
“Everyone involved with Walmley Cricket Club Ladies’ section are delighted that Sarah has said that she wants to play here,” Alsop said. “Aside from the obvious fact that she is a superb cricketer whose presence will undoubtedly be a huge boost to all of our girls, Sarah is a lovely person and has already indicated a desire to help us to further develop women’s cricket at Walmley and within the local community.”
Alsop continued: “I sincerely hope that Sarah enjoys playing for Walmley CC Ladies and that her example will encourage many more young girls to start playing at their local clubs.”
The move also aims to give her valuable experience of playing against men at a high standard.
Negotiations are already underway for her to play for Sussex second team. But Taylor hopes that it’s at Walmley where she’ll be getting her main experience of playing with men.
“Sarah is a phenomenal talent and will be an outstanding role model for all cricketers of any age and gender at Walmley Cricket Club.” explained Cricket Chairman Nathan Hill.
“We will support Sarah in her quest to play senior men’s cricket in the Birmingham and District Premier League. She will be selected on merit in line with our selection policy, just like any other player at the club.”
“The club has had a number of female cricketers represent the senior men’s teams over the years, most recently Amy Jones who has also been selected for the England World Cup Squad and Helen Shipman who is part of the England Academy. We back Sarah 100% and will support her in achieving her cricketing ambitions.”
Home games are played at John Findlay Memorial Ground in Sutton Coldfield. Anyone who is interested in playing for the club should visit the club website.