Cricket: Taylor's give and go

Ross Taylor in action in the second test against Pakistan. Photo / Getty Images

What makes Ross Taylor the only New Zealand top order batsman with any consistent authority over the Pakistan bowlers? Andrew Alderson went searching for answers and found a balanced, maturing individual.

The Samoan team strode on to the ground in Apia to play Vanuatu. A number of the local players were decked out, as is tradition, in white trousers.

However, some of the longs finished at the low calf, while others needed a couple of folds to avoid slipping over the sneakers. All were of a similar shape. How so? Well, this is one of the subtle ways Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor helps others since he's become one of the world's elite cricketers.

Taylor is helping to pay back those who helped him reach the top. The 25-year-old's attitude is even rarer during an age when the term "freelance cricketer" - some might say 'mercenary' - is bandied about as an alternative to being contracted to your national association.

Ross Taylor's little-known behind-the-scenes generosity reminds you of the John F Kennedy campaign speech in 1960 where he noted "of those to whom much is given, much shall be required".

Taylor is the second player of Samoan heritage to play for New Zealand after left-arm pace bowler Murphy Su'a who played 13 tests and 12 one-day internationals between 1992-95. Su'a was at the noted ICC East Asia-Pacific region tournament in Samoa earlier this year as a player-coach. He says Taylor has often been supportive.

"There's been several occasions where he's dropped off bags of Black Caps clothing, which we've auctioned off and then invested the proceeds back into the game. Young guys in the cricket scene know who he is and that he's proud of his heritage. We're pushing the fact that's what you can strive for.

"We're going to try to get him back to Samoa soon to motivate the lads because we're not far from becoming an associate member of the ICC - which means more funding."

Central Districts wicketkeeper (and as it happens Vanuatu coach at the tournament in question) Bevan Griggs has spent most of his provincial career playing with Taylor. He also flatted with him for a period at the cricket academy at Lincoln. He says Taylor's barely changed over time.

"I'm always interested when guys come back from months away overseas to see how they've changed. If anything Ross has gone further into his shell and become more humble. "

Taylor's largesse amidst his relatively new-found fame extend to his family too. Word has it a variety of home appliances have a habit of appearing on the doorstep of the family home in Masterton.

It's also understood Taylor has plans to move in with his partner, former Northern Spirit cricketer Victoria Brown, next year in Hamilton. His Palmerston North house won't be sold, it'll instead be handed to his sister so she's got a place to stay when she goes to Teachers' College.

Taylor does have some vices. But for the most part they have actually helped his career. Griggs says the New Zealand public can be grateful to Taylor's penchant for a certain brand of fast food.

"His hunger for hundreds may have emerged after the team physio offered us the incentive of a bucket of KFC to score one. I think he might've cut that out now - for the most part - and he's become a connoisseur of sushi instead. "

Taylor's also become quite the wine buff. His budding collection reflects a fondness for pinots and syrahs. He's even known to take an encyclopedic 300-400 page tome around with him, basically wine's version of cricket's Wisden.

"Yes, the collection is looking quite sharp," says Taylor. "It's okay by my standards. I don't know if a wine connoisseur would be that impressed but I enjoy it and have friends come around to taste it with me."

It all comes as perhaps a backlash to acquiring the nickname "Tipper" in his early first class years, in reference to what might happen to a glass of beer if he had to skull it at a team court session. Over the shoulder it would go...

One person who shares Taylor's nose for wine is his personal batting coach and renowned aficionado Martin Crowe. The pair have been working together for two and a half years and recently caught up for a couple of (batting) sessions in Whangarei when Taylor returned from the United Arab Emirates.

"He's been a big influence in technique and the mental side of the game," says Taylor. "You talk to past players and they say he was the best exponent in New Zealand. I wasn't feeling that great leading into the test series but felt better after the time with him.

"My key problem has been premeditated shots. They're a big part of limited overs cricket and it is tough because my natural instinct is to belt the ball and hit boundaries, but in tests you can't afford to do that.

"It is difficult changing between formats. It takes time to adjust. One element to change is the use of the slip cordon. The hard thing is a lot of players today score many of their runs in the shorter form through that area which is tough to stamp out."

Crowe has given Taylor some tips to keep such temptation in check: "Ross is aware of that as part of the transition but playing across the line is just a bit of a release when the pressure valve is at its greatest. He's an instinctive player.

"Technically, I've been encouraging him to get forward in test mode. He's generally playing well straight and hitting the ball nicely along the ground. One concern is that he's being hit a bit on the body. But in Dunedin he was better off getting the odd bruise than going back and getting fired LBW."

Griggs says Crowe's influence has paid off for CD too.

"When Ross re-joined the team he was so keen to talk to the boys about batting after Crowe's influence. One thing he has to monitor is controlling that urge to lash out.

"Ross knows he can take attacks apart with his hand-eye co-ordination but there was a time, a few years back, when he'd blast a couple out of the park and then get his poles knocked over."

After the third test Taylor gets his first chance in three years to spend the festive season with his family in Masterton.

If his attitude is anything to judge it by, one can only imagine more will be given than required under the Taylor Christmas tree.

Taylor made

Up until the start of the third test, Taylor had:

* Scored a shade under 30 per cent of New Zealand's runs.
* Been outscored only once in the series, when Daniel Vettori made 99 to his 94 at Dunedin. Scored three of the six Black Caps' half-centuries.
* Scored 1623 runs in 21 tests at an average of 42.71 including four centuries - Tim McIntosh is the only other player to have scored a century batting in the top six.
* Vaulted to a career high ninth position on the ICC test batting rankings.