Injured Taylor hammers career-best as NZ level series
DUNEDIN: Injury-hit Ross Taylor played through the pain to score a remarkable unbeaten 181 and seal a series-levelling win for New Zealand in the fourth one-day international against England yesterday.
Taylor limped through much of his innings in Dunedin after aggravating a thigh injury, but batted on to compile a career-best innings and make it 2-2 in the series with one to play.
New Zealand ended on 339 for five in reply to England’s 335 for nine, winning by five wickets and taking the five-match series to a crunch decider in Christchurch on Saturday.
Taylor scored 17 fours and six sixes as New Zealand reached the target with three balls to spare, wincing with pain after every shot in the latter half of his innings.
“It’s still sinking in,” he said after tearfully leaving the field to a standing ovation, revealing team medics gave him the option of retiring hurt due to the pain.
“I was glad I made the decision to stay out there and swing.”
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson rated Taylor’s innings as “one of the great oneday knocks” and said he hoped the batsman would be fit for the decider.
“Ross’s knock was just sensational, he’s kind of been batting like that all year,” he said.
“Hopefully his injuries are minor and we can see him in the next game.”
Taylor’s heroics in scoring his 19th ODI century overshadowed a fine batting performance from England, marred by a late collapse that cost them dearly.
Jonny Bairstow blazed his way to 138 off 106 balls and Joe Root grafted out a hard-fought 102 before England self-destructed late in their innings.
England captain Eoin Morgan had no explanation for the collapse but was confident his side’s deep batting line-up would not fail so spectacularly again.
“It isn’t ideal. Normally one of us (batsmen) comes off, so it is a first,” he said.
“We won’t look into it too much at the moment if he happens consistently we’ll have to do something.”
England should have put the match beyond reach after Bairstow and Root had them at 267 for 1 in the 38th over.
But Bairstow’s departure sparked a collapse that saw six wickets go for 21 runs, ending their hopes of setting a monster total on the small University Oval ground.
A late cameo of 22 off 10 balls from Curran added a degree of difficulty to the target but also showed New Zealand’s batsmen that there were runs in the pitch.
Ish Sodhi led the Black Caps’ fightback with the ball, taking four for 58, while Colin Munro and Trent Boult took two wickets apiece.