Taylor wins England women's award

Claire Taylor has fought off stiff competition to scoop England women's Player of the Year courtesy of strong batting performances in all forms of the game. In an unprecedented winter of success in Australasia, the team retained the Ashes and drew 2-2 in the one-dayers against the world champions Australia, while thumping New Zealand 4-0.

Taylor, who topped the Most Valuable Player (MVP) rankings, hit half-centuries both innings of the one-off Ashes Test, while scoring two centuries and two fifties in ODIs in the voting period. She also narrowly missed out on the ICC Player of the Year award last September - which was won by India's Jhulan Goswami - but said she was "honoured" to have been chosen for the England title.

"I'm really looking forward to the next eighteen months," said Taylor, "with two very exciting competitions in the World Cup and the World Twenty20 as well as the prospect of more Test cricket with the Ashes in 2009."

She has previously attributed her continued success over the last four years to off-field activities such as working as a management consultant and taking up the violin again which has allowed a work-life balance and taken the intensity away from constant cricket.

The allrounder Jenny Gunn was second in the rankings, picking up consistent wickets although she missed out on the Ashes Test through injury.

England captain Charlotte Edwards was another strong contender, having helped reverse the side's fortunes in a home defeat against New Zealand to lead them in their campaign abroad amid off-field disruptions in which they lost their coach Mark Dobson and their most experienced player Jane Smit.

Edwards also contributed four unbeaten fifties in ODIs, while making 94 in the Ashes, and she took valuable late wickets in the limited-overs format.