New Milton Cricket Club's Charlotte Taylor takes five wickets in this season's Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

NEW Milton Cricket Club's Charlotte Taylor shows no signs of slowing down after her meteoric rise into the professional ranks, taking five wickets in this season's Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

The former Arnewood School pupil has been a revelation since she was drafted into the Southern Vipers line-up two years as an injury replacement.

So far this season, she has taken five wickets at 25 runs a piece, and she was the player of the match two weeks ago with a brilliant performance of 3-31 off 10 overs in 36-degree heat at Derbyshire CCC.

The Southern Vipers currently sit atop the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy table after preserving an unbeaten start after taking four wins from as many games.

After only making the team as a late injury replacement, she ended the 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy competition as the leading wicket-taker, with 15, despite playing only half of the tournament.

The 28-year-old spin bowler has become a leading all-rounder for Hampshire women after a cruciate ligament almost ended her career.

Taylor was recognised in 2021 by the Cricket Society, which crowned her the best newcomer in the ECB's Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy competition after producing the performance of her life in the final, taking six wickets to lead her side to the title at Edgbaston.

Her start was far from plain sailing after suffering a potentially career-ending cruciate ligament tear in 2017. However, after battling back to full fitness, she earned a recall by Hursley Park before Vipers' coach and former England captain Charlotte Edwards called her up.