Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor has produced one of the most heroic innings in New Zealand's one-day international
history to level the series 2-2 against England in Dunedin.
New Zealand hunted down a record chase of 336 in the seventh ODI at the ground to win by five wickets with three balls to spare. Henry Nicholls pumped a six behind square leg off Tom Curran to complete the result.
A day shy of his 34th birthday, Taylor eclipsed his career-best 131 not out made against Pakistan during the 2011 World Cup on a baking evening at Pallekele. That innings came on his 27th birthday. He has matured so much as a cricketer since then, and this performance was exhibit A.
Taylor came to the wicket in a crisis on his way to a career best of 181 not out off 147 balls in the format and the highest at the ground. New Zealand had lost both openers for two runs after 2.4 overs, with Colin Munro sacrificing the review to a plumb lbw first ball.
The No.4 appeared to rip a groin muscle as he stretched to avoid getting run out late in his innings. Yet he stood manfully and schooled the England bowlers for 17 fours and six sixes in between hobbling between the wickets and getting medical treatments in the no-runner era.
With the help of Kane Williamson (45 from 48 balls), Tom Latham (71 from 67) and Colin de Grandhomme (23 from 12 balls), Taylor hauled them back into the contest in a manner only a player of 204 matches' experience can. The fourth-wicket partnership of 187 runs from 215 balls with Latham eclipsed the 178-run record they had set between the countries in the first match in Hamilton.
He savaged cuts, attacked pulls and worked singles to give the innings a rhythm Stevie Wonder would be proud of on his way to his 19th century in the format.
Whoever's Taylor eye surgeon is, take a bow.
