CHARLOTTE Edwards, England women s cricket captain, who grew up in Pidley and started playing cricket with her father in Ramsey, has been awarded the MBE. Charlotte Edwards, who was the youngest player to take the field for England when she made her inter

CHARLOTTE Edwards, England women's cricket captain, who grew up in Pidley and started playing cricket with her father in Ramsey, has been awarded the MBE.

Charlotte Edwards, who was the youngest player to take the field for England when she made her international debut in 1995, said the MBE was a proud moment in her career.

Ms Edwards, 29, said: "It's a huge honour and after the amazing year I have had this has topped it off perfectly.

"It has been given to me for services to cricket for a number of years and I'm obviously really chuffed."

Among her other accolades Ms Edwards has been named Woman Cricketer of the Year. She has twice been involved in winning the Ashes - once as the team's captain and she led her team to win The Cricket World Cup.

When she made her debut in 1995, she was the youngest player ever to play for England. When she captained the England Ladies Cricket team to victory against New Zealand to lift the World Cup, she was described as "the best player in the world".

She is a veteran of four World Cups, having made her debut at 17.

When her team won, she said: "I am almost lost for words. This is what I have dreamed of since I was a little girl and for it to happen is fantastic."

She won the Women's Player of the Year award last year - the highest accolade for a female cricketer. She received the award at the ICC awards ceremony in Dubai.

When she led the England team in the 2009 World Cup in Australia she scored half a century and took a career best four for 37 in the Super Six Victory in New Zealand before captaining the side to a four-wicket victory over the same opposition in the World Cup Final in Sydney.