The England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor hopes her groundbreaking debut as the first female cricketer in Australian first-grade cricket will raise the profile of women’s game and inspire others to follow suit.
Taylor spent Saturday behind the stumps for Northern Districts Jets against Port Adelaide Magpies in the South Australian Premier Competition and, on a day when bat dominated ball, declared herself satisfied.
“It was a long day, it was tough and warm out there but overall I’m happy with my performance,” Taylor told the BBC’s Test Match Special. “I was technically good and pace [on the ball] wasn’t an issue at all. I did drop a catch but we will bypass that one. I walk away with a lot of learnings but a lot of positives too.”
The 26-year-old, a veteran of eight Tests, 98 one-day internationals and 73 Twenty20s, lined up alongside Leicestershire’s captain, Mark Cosgrove, and the former Hampshire and Sussex batsman Joe Gatting, spending 81 overs in the field on the first of two days as the Magpies reached 227 for three.
With her England team-mate Kate Cross having become the first woman to turn out in the Central Lancashire League last summer, Taylor believes more could follow in their footsteps by penetrating the men’s game at club level. “I would like to think I won’t be the last woman to play in a men’s game. I think I’ve got to look at myself and be proud of what I have achieved – and thank the Jets for my chance.
“[Hopefully] I can showcase the women cricketers and push their profile; I know there are girls that want to play alongside men and I want to contribute to this. For me, it was about making myself a better women’s cricketer.
“It’s been a rollercoaster few days for myself and everyone at the club since being named in the team. The guys were brilliant; they made jokes and took the mickey but it was all in good fun. There was pressure but I put more pressure on myself than anything external.”
Taylor, who follows the former Australian Test cricketers Darren Lehmann and Ryan Harris in turning out for the Northern Districts, will play 50-over women’s cricket for South Australia as well taking part in the inaugural women’s Big Bash League with Adelaide Strikers.
