Claire Taylor has given Oxfordshire a massive boost ahead of their first-ever time in Group 1 of Ladies' County Week.

Taylor, who has been playing in the team since she was 13, only gave birth to a baby boy, Harry, six weeks ago.

Claire Taylor will play for Oxon just two months after giving birth But she says that playing for her county at Eastbourne, in front of big crowds, is all she has been looking forward to since they won Group 2 last year, and she wouldn't miss it for anything.

"I will definitely be there, there's no doubt about that," Taylor said. "I wouldn't miss it for anything.

"To be honest, it was the one thing that kept me going through the pregnancy - looking forward to this one week.

"I was playing tennis right up until I was 32 weeks pregnant, and I have played since, so I am keeping myself going.

"I'm so excited by it all. I can't wait to take my son down there and then play as well as I can."

Oxfordshire have named their strongest-possible squad for the week, which gets under way on July 23, which means that Lizzie Jelfs is also available to play.

Jelfs is the only addition to the squad which won at Worthing last year, joining captain Caroline Jones, Taylor, Imogen Wyatt, Lucy Collinson, Mandy Nall, Cressida Henderson and Gina Liverton.

Taylor says that with Jelfs available, Oxfordshire have a great chance of causing a few upsets.

"We spent a few years in Group 2, and then had some lean years - if you can call them lean - when we bobbed between Groups 2 and 3," she said.

"But we have always had a really good team spirit, and last year we went to Worthing believing we could do well.

"We didn't honestly think that we could win the group, but we did, and we are going to Eastbourne full of confidence."

"If we play really well, we stand a good chance against any team."

Taylor admits that she is nervous about the occasion."

"I've been playing at County Week since I was 13, and I'm 26 now so it's taken a few years to actually get to where we want to be," she said.

Oxfordshire's men will play in Group 6 at Beckenham, hoping to start their climb up the ladder.

They name a nine-man squad, comprising Paul Butcher (captain), Tom Greenland, Ian MacDonald, Jim Baker, Nigel Matthews, Tim Robson, Christian Peterson, Andrew Poole and Bruce Young.