(Reuters) – Former England women’s international, Sarah Taylor, said yesterday that she was excited about playing cricket again after joining Fire Wales for the opening season of The Hundred.
The 31-year-old, one of the best wicket-keepers of all time, was part of the English sides that won the Twenty20 World Cup and 50 overs in 2009.
He made 226 appearances for England, including 10 tests, 126 one-day matches and 90 T20 matches, before retiring from international cricket in 2019 after a battle of anxiety. His last domestic match was the same year, representing Surrey Stars.
“There has been a real buzz about The Hundred, and in particular the women’s competition,” Taylor said in a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“We have the best players from all over the world taking part and the temptation to be part of it was too great to resist. I’m so excited with the hope of playing again. ”
The ECB franchise-based women’s league season begins with Oval Invincibles meeting Manchester Originals on July 21, a day before the men’s competition begins.
Several top female players, including Meg Lanning (Fire), Sophie Molineux (Trent Rockets) and Alyssa Healy (Northern Superchargers) will take part in the tournament.
The ECB has invested heavily in The Hundred, a competition that it hopes will attract younger audiences to the sport. The games will feature 100 balls per inning with a head change after 10 deliveries.
The launch of the opening edition was delayed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.