Ross Taylor's prowess at slip effectively makes him an all-rounder.
Traditionally the all-rounder role is defined on the basis of performing with bat and ball; the Sir Richard Hadlee model, if you will. In recent years this has extended to wicketkeeping to embrace the likes of Brendon McCullum. Now, withTaylor shaping as the best slip in New Zealand history and filling the gap left by cordon greats such as Stephen Fleming, Bryan Young, Jeremy Coney and Bruce Murray, the all-rounder definition needs to broaden.
To go with his batting average of 362 in the West Indies series, Taylor has pouched six catches. He also took three in each of the Bangladesh tests in October. He looks equally at home against fast or slow bowling. His ratio of 0.915 catches per innings (87 catches in 95 test innings) is second only to Young's 0.931 (54 catches in 58 innings) for the country's best non-wicketkeeper. Fleming's ratio was 0.859 (171 from 199), Murray's was 0.840 (21 from 25) and Coney's was 0.659 (64 from 97). Those players spent sustained periods in the slips where catches are prevalent but a player needs the prerequisite reactions and poise.
Taylor's performances in Dunedin and Wellington showed why he is arguably the world's best first slip. At University Oval a couple of regulation first innings chances came his way via Tim Southee bowling to right-hander Marlon Samuels and left-hander Narsingh Deonarine. Those were backed up by a couple of gems low to his left from the bowling of Neil Wagner in the second innings when he snared Shane Shillingford and Tino Best. At the Basin Reserve, Deonarine was a juggle but Shillingford was regulation.
Watching replay reactions to each chance is a treat. Taylor always moves early towards the catch off the balls of his feet, an athlete's initial instinct mixed with the long-practised skill of the snare. The ball has an Alcatraz prisoner's chance of escape.
At one point during the series against South Africa in March 2012, Taylor had one catch per innings (63 from 63) which was ahead of former Australian captain Bob Simpson (0.94) - who has the best ratio for any test cricketer who has taken more than 70 chances. If Taylor maintains his strike rate, he'll vie for the title of the game's best slip fieldsman. There is no definitive analysis of error rate or "the butterfingers factor", but few chances escape his soft hands.
Taylor's record is impressive but Indian great Rahul Dravid is the most prolific non-wicketkeeping fielder with 210 catches from 164 tests - a strike rate of 0.697 per innings.
