Taylor also scored an unbeaten fifty on her Lord's debut

Her unbeaten 156 against India in August is the top one-day international score at Lord's, even beating the 138 by Viv Richards in 1979.

"Everyone who goes to Lord's will see it and the profile of women's cricket will be raised accordingly.

"And for them to take down Viv Richards' board and put mine up - it's brilliant," she told BBC Sport.

Recalling the momentous day when England beat by 100 runs in a series they went on to win 4-0, Taylor said: "It was a great day, but to start with it was disappointing weather.

"But it gave us a chance to soak up the environment and meet the people who had come to watch, so that took the pressure off.

"I didn't have the best of starts to my innings but I decided to take it by the scruff of the neck and try to dominate and it came off."

The next challenge awaiting the England women's team is a four-nation tournament in India early in 2007, also featuring Australia and New Zealand, with each team playing each other twice to decide the semi-final line-up.

"We were there last winter and didn't have a great time," Taylor recalled.

"We lost the one-day series 4-1 and drew the only Test but we should be better prepared this time and it will be interesting to see how three non sub-contintent teams fare and if they look to change their game plans.

"To play there is brilliant because there is so much enthusiasm - but there is so much distraction from people wanting to meet you, get autographs and even just to touch you is something our new girls will find quite difficult."

For many the perception of a women's tour would be one of time to explore foreign climes in between the matches, but modern international schedules are quite different.

"I was lucky - in a way - the first time I went there I was injured and couldn't get a flight back for six days so I had to stay in Delhi," Taylor said.

"It meant I could go to see the Taj Mahal, but other girls who have been on two trips haven't even seen it.

"We've been to some great cities but it's not until the end of a tour when you have maybe a day spare.

"This year we went to see Mother Theresa's shrine and met children in one of her orphanages but as for sightseeing we don't get much chance to do that."

But for the friends and family of Claire Taylor there is a welcome monument to visit at the home of cricket in London.