A career to praise: Ross Taylor’s 5 best performances as a cricket player
Ross Taylor demonstrated both rock-solid resistance and merciless batting prowess during his 16-year international career, which was filled with incredible accomplishments and innumerable experiences to treasure.
Ross Taylor, who was playing his final and 450th international match in his birthplace of Hamilton against the Netherlands, could not hold back emotions as he entered the arena in New Zealand colours for the final time.
Taylor came in to bat when New Zealand were cruising along at 215-2, scoring 14 off 16 balls in his penultimate outing before being caught and bowled by Logan van Beek in an attempt to accelerate the scoring rate. New Zealand finally concluded with a score of 333/8, well enough for a 115-run victory and a 3-0 series sweep.
Taylor was a part of several glorious moments for New Zealand, from winning the inaugural ICC World Test Championship to scoring the highest score by a New Zealand batter in Australia, and he retired as the country's most prolific run-getter across formats – 18,199 runs at a highly impressive average of 42.72. Taylor played 112 Tests, 236 One-Day Internationals, and 102 Twenty-20 Internationals, making him the only cricketer to participate in all three international formats 100 times.
Here are the top five times in his career when he created news for his awe-inspiring batting efforts, which helped the Blackcaps win many trophies:
Winning the ICC World Test Championship
Taylor's hunt for an ICC trophy for his country came to an end as New Zealand defeated India in the ICC World Test Championship Final in Southampton in June 2021. In a run-chase of 139, Taylor remained unbroken at 47, accomplishing the task with a signature flick in the final session of the Test.
Career-best 290 against Australia
Taylor's best Test performance came against Australia in 2015 at the WACA in Perth, when he scored 290 in 374 balls, the greatest score by a New Zealand player in Australia. The historic nine-hour innings featured 43 fours and helped the Black Caps rescue the Test after Australia amassed a massive 559/9d in the first innings.
Match-winning 181* versus England
Taylor's top ODI score of 181* came in a 336-run chase against a strong England side in Dunedin in 2018. New Zealand got off to a shaky start, with openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro both going for ducks. However, New Zealand sped home with three balls to spare thanks to Taylor's tenacity on the day. His quick bowling included 17 fours and six sixes.
Fighting 50 in semi-final against India
With the ICC One-Day International World Cup 2019 Final on the line, New Zealand's talismanic Taylor once again rose to the occasion, shining with a match-defining 74 off 90 deliveries in the first semi-final against India at Old Trafford in Manchester. Taylor's batsmanship helped his team to a competitive total of 239, before New Zealand's bowling held India to 221 runs, allowing them to go to their second consecutive World Cup final.
A blistering World Cup century against Pakistan
Taylor scored an unbeaten 131 against Pakistan in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2011 Group match in Pallekele on his 27th birthday. Taylor's Player of the Match performance saw him help New Zealand add 92 runs in the final five overs to increase their total to 302/7, laying the groundwork for a comfortable 110-run victory. Another reminder of his abilities as a superb all-round batsman came in an innings best remembered for his fierce assault on Shoaib Akhtar.
