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Five Firsts

Cricketers on their milestones
Claire Taylor

Ducks, sixes, and the other Taylor

From selling papers to idolising a namesake to hitting hundreds for England

Nishi Narayanan

December 16, 2008
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"I scored plenty of sixes playing softball cricket aged 10" © Getty Images

First duck
I had a whole season of ducks once, aged 14, when playing for the Thames Valley U-19s. I think I scored a total of 10 runs. I was a bowler back then.

First ODI hundred
Against Sri Lanka in the World Cup. Jane Smit was batting with me. We had a photo of us having a hug, and then with a Cricinfo cheque.

First six
Absolutely no idea, but I'm sure I scored plenty of sixes playing softball cricket, aged 10.

First job
Paper delivery, when I was 14. Sorting out the leaflets and then delivering them, pulling them along behind me.

First meeting with a cricketing idol
Clare Taylor was my first cricket idol - the double international. I played cricket against her a few times, and then went to watch the World Cup final in 1993 when I was 17. After the end of the game, I rushed up to Clare to get a photo with her, which I still have. She was not bothered at all, was looking around for her friends to celebrate, and I'm smiling broadly and she is looking in a totally different direction. I've shown her the photo after that, and we've had quite a laugh about it.

As told to Nishi Narayanan

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Nishi Narayanan
Staff writer Nishi studied journalism because she didn't want to study at all. As she spent most of the time at j-school stationed in front of the TV watching cricket her placement officer had no choice but to send out a desperate plea to the editor of ESPNcricinfo to hire her. Though some of the senior staff was suspicious at that a diploma in journalism was the worst thing that could happen to ESPNcricinfo and she did nothing to allay them, she continues to log in everyday and do her two bits for cricket.

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Nishi Narayanan Staff writer Nishi studied journalism because she didn't want to study at all. As she spent most of the time at j-school stationed in front of the TV watching cricket her placement officer had no choice but to send out a desperate plea to the editor of ESPNcricinfo to hire her. Though some of the senior staff was suspicious at that a diploma in journalism was the worst thing that could happen to ESPNcricinfo and she did nothing to allay them, she continues to log in everyday and do her two bits for cricket.