Fighting pair save NZ again
His achievement was more obscure this time, but Ross Taylor felt like it was his 100th test again before he made some muchneeded runs. Andrew Voerman reports.
Ross Taylor felt like he was playing his 100th test again when he walked out to bat in the Boxing Day test at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui – and he went on to produce his best innings since the 44 he made on that occasion in March, four matches ago.
This time the milestone being applauded was his 438th appearance for the Black Caps across all three formats – an outing that moves him one ahead of former team-mate Daniel Vettori on the all-time list.
It’s a somewhat obscure achievement, taking both red-ball and white- ball cricket into account, but after scoring 70 to help the Black Caps to 222-3 at stumps on the first day yesterday, Taylor said it was one that felt special.
‘‘ Every time you represent your country it’s a special moment. To represent them 400-odd times and to get the record, it’s not what I play for, but it’s nice to have got it.
‘‘ It was a special occasion – I got some nice words from BJ [Watling] and the team this morning and it felt a little bit like my 100th test, going out to bat today with a standing ovation.
‘‘I don’t know what the ground announcer said, but he must have told the crowd, because I’m sure they wouldn’t have known.’’
Taylor walked out to join Kane Williamson in the middle with their side reeling at 13- 2 in the 11th over, after Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and chose to have a bowl on a pitch that was less green than most of those produced for recent tests in New Zealand.
Events proceeded at a snail’s pace for the next two hours, and at drinks midway through the second session, the Black Caps had scored just 74 runs in 40 overs.
In the 14 that followed before tea, they added another 54, with Taylor bringing up his halfcentury – his first time past 50 in 11 innings – then slog-sweeping legspinner Yasir Shah for a six
and a four off consecutive deliveries. He eventually fell in the third over of the final session, getting an edge on a ball across his body from left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi that he couldn’t do much about.
‘‘It was difficult early on,’’ Taylor said, ‘‘but you expect that on a day one wicket.
‘‘It’s definitely flattened out, and it’s probably a little twopaced at times. It will be interesting – I’m sure it’s only going to get a little more uneven over the next couple of days.
‘‘The way Kane and I got through that was nice and pleasing, but you’ve got to give it to Shaheen [who took 3-55]. I thought he bowled outstandingly well, and Mohammad Abbas [who conceded just 25 runs in 21 overs] didn’t really give us much either.’’
After putting on a 120-run partnership with Taylor, Williamson carried on through to stumps, where he was 94 not out, alongside Henry Nicholls, who was on 42, though both gave Pakistan chances that could have swung the day the tourists’ way. Of Williamson, Taylor said: ‘‘ I thought he batted fantastically well, and we need him and Henry Nicholls to go on and get through the new ball [today] and keep them out there as long as possible.’’
Taylor’s return to form in whites came a fortnight after he was dropped from the Black Caps’ Twenty20 squad to play Pakistan. Speaking about his omission for the first time he said he was ‘‘obviously disappointed’’ not to be with the team as they completed a 2- 1 series win, but revealed he did join them for training in Hamilton last Saturday.
‘‘I still feel like I’ve got something to give to the Twenty20 side, but here we are in a test match, and hopefully I can contribute to a team win.’’
Play begins at 11am today, though showers (and potentially thunderstorms) are forecast.