There was a long period of time when James Taylor was considered the “next cab off the rank” as far as England batting was concerned.
Now he has become the “rainy day cab,” the one that has disappeared from view, although he kept his meter running for a considerable time for Nottinghamshire at Cricketfield Road on Monday, batting for eight hours and 21 minutes to make his highest first class score of 291.
With ozone layer-like holes opening up in the England Test team’s top order the diminutive Nottinghamshire batsman will find himself talked about again, even though he came into this match against Sussex with a modest tally of 436 runs at 29.07 this season.
Taylor has been a little unlucky. It is three years since he and his Ninja Turtle helmet came into the England Test side. He made his debut against South Africa at Leeds in 2012; the match is better remembered for test messages sent by Kevin Pietersen to the opposing team Taylor went on to score 48 runs in three Test innings and has not been seen in that arena since. He has been leap-frogged first by Joe Root and then Gary Ballance.
He then appeared to be establishing himself in the one-day side, before England adopted a more vigorous, muscular approach. His last ODI was in May, when he captained England against Ireland in Dublin, although he admitted that was a “default” position, because Root had been rested following the Test series in the Caribbean, while Eoin Morgan was playing in the Indian Premier League.
“He is too easily overlooked,” said one wag yesterday, referring to his lack of inches. But he remains one of the most respected batsmen on the circuit. On the eve of his Test debut he was the first player in the Headingley nets, and the last to leave.
His score here was the highest ever made at Horsham, beating Ian Bell’s unbeaten 262 for Warwickshire in 2004. It’s been a bad week for Bell.
Notts had resumed on 358 for five and Taylor and Chris Read took their partnership to 365 before the latter was caught behind for 121. They were just seven runs short of the county’s sixth-wicket record of 372 between Pietersen and John Morris in 2001.
But Taylor, 25, went on to complete the highest score for a Notts player against Sussex, beating John Dixon’s 268 at Hove in 1897. He also scored a double century against Sussex in 2013, the year he made a century for Sussex, when he guested for the county against Australia. Notts declared on 570 for seven and at the close Sussex were 157 for four
Taylor said on Monday night: “I love playing against Sussex – and for them as well. I was due some runs. As far as England is concerned I’d like to think I’ll be talked about again after this innings.
“It’s three years since I played my last Test and I feel I’ve got a lot more experience in terms of knowledge of the game too and I’m more mature. I feel in a really good place after that knock and it’s up to me to kick on now.
“I’m desperate to get back into the Test-match fold and remain in the one-day set up as well. Peter Moores [who has joined Notts as consultant coach] has been outstanding for me. It’s no coincidence that over the last three weeks since he joined us I have played some important innings in T20 and now I’ve got this 291. I worked closely with him with England and now for Notts, and he has been brilliant.”
