Taylor takes on Sussex role as first female coach in men’s cricket
Three-time England World Cup winner Sarah Taylor has joined Sussex as a wicketkeeping coach for their men’s teams.
Taylor is believed to be the first woman to work as a specialist skills coach for an English county.
Taylor, who helped England win two World Cups in the 50-over game and one in Twenty20, is widely hailed as one of the finest wicketkeepers to have played the game. In 2018 Australian great Adam Gilchrist declared her the “best in the world”.
During her playing career Taylor recorded the most wicketkeeping dismissals, 232, in the history of women’s international cricket.
Sussex have hired Taylor parttime to fulfil a role that she will do alongside her job at St Bede’s School in Eastbourne. Taylor retired from international cricket in 2019 due to her ongoing battle with anxiety.
Taylor represented England 226 times during a 13-year career. As well as being an outstanding wicketkeeper – particularly renowned for her razor-sharp leg-side stumpings – she scored seven one-day international centuries, making her top score of 147 against South Africa during England’s triumphant World Cup campaign in 2017.
“We have a really talented group of keepers at Sussex, who I am looking forward to working with immensely,” Taylor said. “I want to share my experience and expertise to help them get the most out of their game.
“I’m a big believer in keeping things simple and perfecting the basics, so that players can enjoy and express themselves with the gloves.”
Taylor will work with wicketkeepers including Ben Brown – rated among the best on the county circuit – and Phil Salt, a powerful hitter who is viewed as being on the fringes of the England T20 squad. At only 31, Taylor could enjoy a long career. There has never been a women’s head coach in county cricket.
“Sarah has so much to offer our players, but also our environment,” said James Kirtley, Sussex’s joint men’s head coach.
“She is hugely skilled in the world of wicketkeeping, but she will also bring so much good as a person around our group.
“She adds great perspective to a situation and as a coach she provides an excellent sounding board for ideas and is a fantastic communicator. I am certain she will become a huge asset to our set-up.”
Lee Westwood took his son to play his first round at Augusta National yesterday – and confirmed to the student that he would get the chance to caddie at the Masters.
After finishing runner-up for the second time in as many Sundays, Westwood will go into the Georgia showpiece next month widely fancied to break his major void.
Yet rather than stick with fiancee Helen Storey – with whom he has certainly forged a winning team after lifting the European Tour’s Order of Merit in December – he is fulfilling a promise he made to Sam three years ago.
To celebrate his 18th birthday, Westwood told Sam he could carry the bag at that year’s Masters, the tournament where he has twice finished second.
However, then he failed to qualify for the first time in 14 years. The promise has been hanging in the air since, with Sam’s studies not allowing him to travel to the United States last April. Until now.
In 1986 Jack Nicklaus became the oldest Masters winner at the age of 46, with son Gary as his caddie.
The Westwoods will have the biggest chance since then to create father-son glory, with Westwood up to 19th in the world after his superb showings at Bay Hill and at Sawgrass on Sunday, where he lost by one to Justin Thomas in the Players Championship.
“This is going to be a good Monday,” Westwood said, before they flew to Augusta with Shane Lowry and the Irishman’s coach, Neil Manchip. “We’ve got a fun couple of days coming up. It’s the first time Sam has played there.
“He’s been there with me years ago, but he’s caddying for me this year in the Masters itself, so I figure I’m taking him to play 36 holes Monday and Tuesday. Be a good lad-anddad trip.”
It could prove a useful scouting trip for Sam, although it will not have taken him too long to realise that very few players know that magical path through the pines at Augusta National better than his old man.