Old Delphinian, Claire Taylor, has been awarded an MBE in the 2010 New Year's Honours List. This latest honour completes an amazing year for Claire who was also named International Woman Cricketer of the Year at the Awards in South Africa in September! Claire also became the first woman in the 120 year history of WISDEN to be selected as one of its five Cricketers of the Year.

This unprecendented honour is based on her perfomance in 2008 when she finished the year as Number One Woman Batsman in the World and batted England to victory in the Ashes played in Australia.  The Wisden editor said, 'beating Australia in Australia is the objective for all cricketers, at least in England, and Claire almost single-handedly saw England through to victory...Taylor has been chosen on merit, for being preeminent in her form of the game.'  The other English cricketer seelcted was bowler Jimmie Anderson.

This year  (2009) Claire went on to be named player of the tournament for her part in securing England's victory over New Zealand in the World Cup final on Sunday 22nd March.  She scored one century and two half centuries and made 324 runs at an average of 64.80.  The Wisden selection was only announced this week (April) but Claire has known for months.

Claire has three times been nominated for international player of the year and was the first woman to hit a century in a one day match at Lords.  On this occasion in 2006 she hit 156 which was the highest one day total ever, eclipsing the previous high of 138 scored here by Viv Richards in the 1979 World Cup.