as making technical changes, though Lane promoted the use of bottom-handed hockey-style shots which came more naturally to Taylor. At her peak, she used her intelligence to help manipulate the field; in an interview she described that, "when I'm batting at my best I have a 3D awareness of the shape of the field and where the spaces are." Recognition Taylor was the first woman to be selected as Wisden's Cricketer of the Year, in 2009. The editor of that years almanack, Scyld Berry, noted that "there is no element of political correctness or publicity-seeking about her selection," and that she had been "chosen on merit, for being pre-eminent in her form of the game." She was short-listed for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year in both 2007 and 2008, and won the award in 2009. She was also named as the England and Wales Cricket Board's Women's Player of the Year in May 2009. Continuing on from her success in 2009, Taylor was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on the 2010 New Year Honours list. During her career she topped the ICC batting rankings for both ODI and Twenty20 International cricket, and upon her retirement, former Test cricketer Mike Selvey suggested in The Guardian that she was "perhaps the finest batsman the women's game has seen." See also List of centuries in women's One Day International cricket List of centuries in women's Test cricket Notes References Bibliography External links 1975 births Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford Berkshire women cricketers Canterbury Magicians cricketers England women One Day International cricketers England women Test cricketers England women Twenty20 International cricketers Living people Members of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Kendrick School People educated at The Abbey School People from Amersham Thames Valley women cricketers Wisden Cricketers of the Year Wicket-keepers International Cricket Council Cricketer of the Year