Two Mondays ago, 18-year-old female cricketer Stephanie Taylor was named the Jamaica Cricket Association Cricketer of the Year at their annual awards held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel.

The award, in her own words, was Taylor’s greatest achievement in a sport, which is seeing a steady rise in the women’s arena. There was, however, no widespread celebration over Taylor’s award as many claimed that other, more deserving talents should have won.

Taylor’s main competitors in the race were spinner Odean Brown and former national captain Tamar Lambert. Both these players had interesting regional cricket seasons this year, as Brown topped the nation’s bowling statistics, while Lambert topped the batting.

Brown ended this season’s regional four-day tournament with 52 wickets at an average of 21.98 — placing third overall. Lambert, on the other hand, finished seventh on the overall list in batting in the competition, averaging 34.50 with four 50s and a brilliant century against Barbados. Lambert was, however, dropped from the squad for the recently concluded regional 50-over competition.

With Jamaica’s most senior cricketers inactive for most of the year due to the West Indies players’ strike, no international cricketer could qualify for the prize. But that statement could not be counted as true if we look at Taylor’s achievements.

The 18 year-old former Eltham High star proved this year that women’s cricket is growing and will soon be a force to reckon with. She made 485 runs this year for the West Indies women’s team at an average of 37.3, which included two 50s and a century. She also scored two 50s in the Women’s 20/20 World Cup with a strike rate of 129.85.

Taylor is ranked number five on the all-rounder’s list and number nine on the ICC women’s batting list.

With all that said, it seems clear that Stephanie Taylor was indeed a deserving winner as she set a standard of a high-level competitor at the international stage and was a true ambassador for both her sport and her country.

Her detractors have been quick, however, to point out that their disagreement with the award was not based on a sexist prediction of who should win.

If that is so, then what grounds and circumstances should justify her winning such a prize?

To TEENage, it seems that a year when she was the only standout Jamaican on the international scene would be a good one to grant her this distinction. It has been said that Taylor hasn’t competed at a level superior or even equivalent to the likes of Lambert and Brown. While that may be true, TEENage must agree with veteran cricket analyst Dr Akshai Mansingh, who stated in an article appearing on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 in the Jamaica Observer that Taylor can only play at the level she was allowed to.

Indeed, as women’s cricket grows, so will its quality and maybe then this won’t be an argument against her.

Others have stated that there should have been two awards — separated by gender. If that was done, there would have been no dispute this year. However, while TEENage is not averse to that idea, with the absence of such a structure, it is only fair that Taylor be granted the award.

She was, without a doubt, the best Jamaican performer in a sport that desperately needs a fresh face to return it to its rightful place in our hearts.