Don Taylor (cricketer)
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| Batting style | Right-hand bat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling style | Right-arm offbreak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Cricinfo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Donald Dougald Taylor (2 March 1923 in Auckland – 5 December 1980 in Epsom) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in 3 Tests from 1947 to 1956.
A middle-order batsman, Taylor made his first-class debut in 1946-47, when he scored 205 runs at 51.25[1] to help Auckland win the Plunket Shield. In their last match of the season Auckland needed 236 to beat Canterbury and were 76 for 4 when Taylor came to the wicket. He scored 98 not out in an unbroken match-winning partnership of 161 with Bert Sutcliffe.[2] Later that season he made 12 batting at number five in his first Test, against England.
He was recalled nine years later in 1955-56 against the West Indies after making 254 runs at 36.28 that season in the Plunket Shield.[3] Batting at number four in the Third Test he made 43 and 77, top-scoring for New Zealand, and he was retained for the Fourth Test, which was New Zealand's first Test victory; Taylor made 11 and 16.
He played for Auckland from 1946-47 to 1948-49, then as a professional for Warwickshire from 1950 to 1953, without establishing himself in the county side,[4] then returned to New Zealand to play for Auckland from 1953-54 to 1960-61.
Batting for Auckland against Canterbury in 1948-49 he and his partner Bert Sutcliffe achieved a world record by taking part in two opening partnerships of over 200 runs in the one match - 220 and 286.[5] His 143 in the second innings of this match was his only first-class century.
His nickname was "Bloke", because of his frequent use of the word.