Award inspires Leicestershire CCC's James Taylor to follow greats

The list of past winners of the Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year award makes for impressive reading.

James Taylor's name was added to the roll of honour on Monday night, an overwhelming winner after a magnificent first full season for Leicestershire.

Joining the ranks of the likes of Fred Trueman, Geoff Boycott, Colin Cowdrey, Nasser Hussain, Ian Botham, Michael Atherton and Andrew Flintoff will not faze Taylor – nor will it go to his head.

In fact, it is only likely to make the 19-year-old put more into his game.

"It really inspires me looking at those names to work even harder and emulate their achievements," said Taylor, who has re-written the County record books by cracking more than 1,100 first-class runs this season.

"The season started well when I was awarded the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year, so to cap it with the Cricket Writers' award is a great way to end the season."

Though the runs have flowed this summer, Taylor has always remained realistic and has pointed out on more than one occasion that it is important to score heavily when the opportunity arises, as batsmen never know what the next innings will bring.

And he points to a barren spell at Grace Road last season as evidence of that.

"After I had been away with England Under-19s last year, I lost a bit of form," admitted Taylor.

"That was the first time in my life that I hadn't been in form. So it was good to come back this year and find it once again and be consistent through the season."

His approach is a simple one – and it is proving highly effective.

"The key for me is keeping things simple," he said. "It is about getting into routines so that I can repeat them."

County chief executive David Smith is hopeful that other young players at Grace Road will look at Taylor and see that opportunities will come their way at Leicestershire – and that they can prosper at first-team level.

Taylor, himself, hopes that he can help the side work their way out of the lower reaches of Division Two during the next few years. And he believes that there is cause to be optimistic about a side that is still very much growing up.

He said: "We have got a young side and we are gaining experience every game. We are having a taste of a first full season together and I don't see any reason why we can't go forward.

"We have got some good young bowlers coming through as well as batters."

Taylor is now waiting to see whether he will feature on international duty this winter, with the prospect of an England Lions call surely a very real one.

Whatever happens, though, he will continue to work at his game in the knowledge that his 2009 performances have helped him lay the soundest of foundations for his future.