Taylor hits record-equalling century
Ross Taylor has joined his late mentor Martin Crowe and current Black Caps captain Kane Williamson at the top of the New Zealand test centuries list, after notching number 17 in the second test against the West Indies in Hamilton yesterday.
The 33-year-old brought up the milestone during the final session of day three at Seddon Park, with the hosts batting their way into a commanding position as they march their way towards a 2-0 series whitewash.
Ever the career goal to do what hero ‘Hogan’ had challenged him to - equal or surpass his record Taylor celebrated his 17th ton in his trademark style, with the pu¯ kana, amid the lifting of his helmet and raising of his bat, to the applause of proud family, teammates and the smattering of punters on the embankment.
It was his fifth test century in his hometown of Hamilton, and his fourth overall against the Windies, with his hundred coming off 172 balls and including 10 fours.
After posting his ton Taylor went on to face 26 more deliveries, and hit one more boundary, to finish unbeaten on 107 when Williamson declared the Black Caps’ innings closed at 291-8 in 77.4 overs, setting the West Indies 444 to win.
The reliable right-handed No 4 came in at 42-2 in the first session to join Williamson, who had looked a decent prospect of notching an 18th hundred and making the test centuries record his own, before he fell for 54 when bowled by a cracking yorker off Shannon Gabriel’s first ball after lunch.
Taylor, though, carried on, in fine style, looking rock solid in defence, along with producing some eye-catching strokeplay blazing
square cuts and scorching cover drives the feature, before some powerful pulls later on - with Shai Hope paying for dropping him on 35.
After bringing up his half century just prior to tea, Taylor still had all the time in the world to bat. Partners came and went, and when Neil Wagner was New Zealand’s eighth victim it was the drinks break, and Taylor still needed four more, but first ball on resumption it was a gorgeous straight drive off left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer which brought up the landmark.
Taylor’s 17th ton came in his 84th test, with Crowe achieving the feat in 70 and Williamson doing it in 61 - ironically also having achieved it in Hamilton this year, in March against South Africa.
That Seddon Park surface is one which Taylor would happily bat on any day of the week. He now has a test average there of 53.17, in the first innings he became the highest ever test run-scorer at the venue, and in the second dig became the hitter of the most test fours there, surpassing former skipper Stephen Fleming on both counts.
Taylor had said pre-test that his reasoning for his great record in Hamilton could simply be the fact he gets to sleep in his own bed and can operate as a normal father-ofthree at home during the match.
He’ll now be out to turn his memorable day into a fine test victory, and already his team are well on the way to doing that, with still two days to play.
The Windies are chasing a world record fourth-innings total their 418-7 against Australia at St John’s in 2003 the landmark, and their 348-5 in Auckland in 1969 the previous record effort by any side in New Zealand.
But any thought the tourists had of pulling off the remarkable were dented massively in their eight overs before stumps, as they fell to 30-2, losing Kieran Powell (0) and Shimron Hetmyer (15), with Trent Boult registering his 199th test wicket.