Cricket: Run machine Taylor feeling the strain

Ross Taylor has scored half of New Zealand’s six half centuries so far in the series against Pakistan. Photo / Getty Images

The only New Zealand batsman fulfilling his job description against Pakistan admits sharing the pressure of his peers as the third and final cricket test looms.

Ross Taylor is alone in having cause to feel satisfied with his contribution to a series where ball has generally held sway over the bat.

His dominance has been so pronounced the 25-year-old has scored 10 more runs in four innings than his five top and middle order colleagues managed in 20.

Of New Zealand's six half centuries recorded in Dunedin and Wellington, Taylor is responsible for half and had his judgment been sharper in the 90s Umar Akmal would not be the solitary century-maker.

Pakistan have already stated the importance of Taylor's wicket, inferring there is little need to panic once the right hander exits.

New Zealand's innings to date justify Pakistan's belief - only in the first innings in Dunedin has his 94 been improved upon, by Daniel Vettori's 99.

When Taylor was third out in the second innings at University Oval for 59, the other seven wickets fell for 66.

He also top scored with 30, almost a third of the runs, during New Zealand's abysmal 99 at the Basin Reserve on Friday. Unsurprisingly, his counter attacking 97 on Sunday was the only glimmer of hope as New Zealand were set 405 to win the test and series.

Stacked up against his colleagues' numbers Taylor's aggregate of 280 at 70.0 illustrates a transition from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Martin Guptill's 75 at 18.75 is the next highest.

Taylor has invariably taken guard in a pressure situation - his longest break between fielding and batting was 15.5 overs in the second innings at the Basin Reserve.

He could not offer any definitive theory on why he was thriving while Tim McIntosh, Guptill, Daniel Flynn and Grant Elliott floundered, particularly against Mohammad Asif.

"The thing is getting forward," he said of his batting strategy.

"He's been the pick of their bowlers, the most consistent the whole time. There hasn't been a conscious decision to go out and hit him. I just try to see the ball and react to it really.

"I don't think there's any secret."

Taylor denied he had got to the stage of putting his pads on straight away during the change of innings.

"No, no, it's still the same routine. I guess every time I've batted in this series we've lost early wickets and been under pressure the whole time.

"That's just part of cricket. Hopefully this next deck in Napier is batter friendly and we can get a good start and work from there."

New Zealand's 30th opening partnership since 2000 - McIntosh and debutant BJ Watling share that responsibility with Guptill now switched to No 3.

Taylor was impressed with Watling's work ethic and technique when the 24-year-old made his New Zealand debut in last month's Twenty20 series against the Pakistanis in Dubai.

"He trained very hard and technically looked pretty sound," Taylor said.

Although Taylor has been very much a one-man run machine he felt for battling teammates.

"It's been well publicised the top order has been struggling. And not only them (the batsmen), the whole team feels it.

"I feel it myself even though I'm scoring runs. You never like hearing bad things about your fellow teammates," he said.

"They'll be under pressure but hopefully they don't have any anxiety and they can go out there and be positive.

"I don't mean go out there and smash the ball, it's being positive in defence, positive in a leave and if there's a half volley or a short, wide one .... have the confidence to put that away even if you're not feeling that great.

"Hopefully the confidence of knowing it is going to be a good batting wicket can inspire them a little bit. In saying that we have to be realistic because they can bowl well on it too."

- NZPA