Cricket: 'A great way to finish' - Ross Taylor signs off with emotional moment

Ross Taylor enjoys the moment with his family at Hagley Oval. Photo / photosport.nz

A batting average of 44 and a bowling average of 16 – Ross Taylor ends his test career with the averages of an all-rounder and a memory for a lifetime.

Taylor's last act in test cricket was to take a wicket, just the third of his career, with Tom Latham pouching the catch and sparking joyous scenes amongst Taylor's teammates as they all raced to mob the departing veteran.

It was the most fanciful of finishes, one that would have been penned by an ambitious scriptwriter trying to write an emotional finale, but all the stars aligned.

Not only was it the 79th over – the last over before the new ball, where spinners often get a customary over – but Taylor was also bowling to statistically the worst batsman in test history, Ebadot Hossain.

"I suppose if you bowl in those situations a bit more often you get the wicket," Taylor grinned after the game.

"It had gotten quite flat there towards the end, Tim [Southee] kept telling me to chuck it up so I chucked it up and Tom said that was the most pressure he's felt in this whole game. It was cool."

Ross Taylor enjoys the moment with his family at Hagley Oval. Photo / photosport.nz

Ross Taylor enjoys the moment with his family and teammates. Photo / Getty

A terrific touch in the middle after the #NZvBAN match at Hagley Oval… ⁦@BLACKCAPS⁩ great Ross Taylor’s children re-enacting the moment Dad takes his final test wicket! pic.twitter.com/gkhDq19Tlp

— Andrew Alderson (@aldersonnotes) January 11, 2022

Taylor didn't have much time to take in the atmosphere in the final moments of the match, with the light getting darker and play threatening to extend into day four.

But Taylor ensured that wouldn't happen, and was delighted to finish with a dominant team performance.

"I was wondering whether I had to come back and warm up again – that was the main focus," he told Spark Sport.

"We needed this game - Bangladesh put us under pressure a number of times, [1-1] was probably a fair reflection of where the series was at.

"I thought we played fantastically well. I wanted to finish with a win, and the guys gave that to me."

With his family watching on, a beaming Taylor led the Black Caps off the park for one final time.

"It was an emotional game for me and my family and friends and my teammates as well.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed representing my country – it was a great way to finish."