Sarah Taylor making great strides, says England skipper Heather Knight
Tuesday 9 May 2017 14:42, UK
Captain Heather Knight says Sarah Taylor's return to cricket has given England a boost ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup.
Taylor, who took a year-long break from cricket due to anxiety, was omitted from the original squad that travelled to the United Arab Emirates last month and was later added to England's travelling party.
The 27-year-old played in an internal squad game during her time in Abu Dhabi, and also featured in the second of three 50-over warm-up matches against Ireland, scoring 26 not out with the bat.
Knight is thrilled with the progress Taylor has made in recent weeks and hopes the talented wicketkeeper-batter can stake her claim for a place in England's World Cup squad.
Knight, who is currently sidelined due to a stress fracture, told Sky Sports News HQ: "We didn't know that she would be able to make the flight but she completed two games on tour - one internal game and one against Ireland.
"She's not out of the woods yet but she's making great strides. You never know, hopefully she might be able to get there for the World Cup, but as we've always done with Sarah we take it day by day and see how she is.
"It's brilliant to have Sarah back and she would walk back into any team with her cricketing ability and the way that she keeps. The most important thing though is her health and where she is at.
"She's done brilliantly to make the trip to Abu Dhabi and did a lot more than we expected her to do.
"The trip was about getting her out there and back amongst the squad but to get her playing in some of the games is just brilliant. We'll take it one step at a time with Sarah and hopefully, she can get to the World Cup."
Watch selected games from the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup on Sky Sports. Tickets for all matches are available via: www.icc-cricket.com/tickets.
