Cricket: Patient Taylor wins cap

Ross Taylor said it has taken him three years to learn that he doesn't have to swing away from the first ball he faces, and that's given him the consistency required to break into the New Zealand side.

"It's just a bit more experience, I think. I've had three years now playing one-day cricket and I've learned a lot over that time.

"I've been taking my time a bit more earlier on in my innings and that's given me consistency.

"A couple of years ago, I was swinging too aggressively, too early on in my innings. I'm still playing aggressively but I've concentrated on getting myself in."

Taylor could perhaps have done with a little more patience against the West Indies yesterday. He scored 31 runs in 29 balls for the Black Caps before being dismissed when he slogged across the line.

However, playing just his second one-day international, his innings included some impressive shots among his seven boundaries.

Anybody arguing domestic form does not necessarily translate to national attention need look no further than Taylor's elevation.

The Central Districts batsman has won the Domestic Player of the Month Award for February after an outstanding finish to the State Shield season.

In round 10, he scored 121 against Wellington in a must-win match, 114 against Otago in the semifinal and was the only Central batsman to shine in the final, with a hard-hit 50.

In the Shield overall, he scored 603 runs to be the competition's highest run-scorer, at an average of 67 and a strike rate of 88.

Those performances demanded attention from the New Zealand selectors and he was finally rewarded with his first cap against the West Indies on Wednesday at Napier, where he scored 15 off 10 balls before being run out.

While the public might have clamoured for Taylor's inclusion, the softly spoken 21-year-old, who turns 22 this week, said he was not overly bothered.

"To be honest, I never really thought about it," he said. "I just wanted to score as many runs as possible for CD and if I did that, then higher honours would come later on."

Instead they came sooner on. Taylor, too, credits sports psychologist Gary Hermansson for his increased concentration. "I was working with him over the winter and during the season. He's been a big part of it and I hope it can continue."

* Taylor wins the February Deloitte Player of the Month Award and a G Shock watch courtesy of Monaco. Previous winners were Paul Hitchcock (Jan) and Joseph Yovich (Dec).

-HERALD ON SUNDAY