New Zealand All-Rounder Bruce Taylor Who Set a World Record on Test Debut Passes Away

Bruce Taylor, the former New Zealand all-rounder, who set a world record of scoring a hundred and picking a five-for on Test debut, died aged 77 on the morning of 6th February in the capital of New Zealand, Wellington. Taylor suffered from ill health and had a leg amputated in 2016 to fight gangrene.

Taylor was a left-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler who represented New Zealand in 30 Tests and two ODIs in an international career spanning 8 years from 1965 to 1973.

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Taylor scored 898 runs in 30 Tests at an average of 20.4 including two hundreds and as many fifties. He also picked 111 wickets at a very impressive average of 26.6 and strike rate of 57 and his exploits included 5 five-fors and 4 four-wickets in an innings.

Taylor made a sensational Test debut against India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 1965 where batting at number 8 he blasted 105 in just 158 minutes including 14 fours and 3 sixes in the first innings. He then picked a fifer including four top-middle order Indian wickets. Amongst his victims were the likes of Farokh Engineer, Chandu Borde, Bapu Nadkarni and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. A hundred and a fifer on Test debut - it still remains a world record never achieved again in Test cricket history!

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Taylor recorded a brilliant 124 against the West Indies at Eden Park in Auckland in 1969 - he came into bat under pressure at 152 for six and smashed the then fastest century in Test cricket for New Zealand both in terms of balls faced and minutes batted. He was at his best on the 1971-72 tour of the Caribbean when in a series dominated by batsmen, Taylor picked 27 wickets in 4 Tests at an average of 17.7.

One of his finest innings came in the fifth Test at Port of Spain in Trinidad when he came to bat at 188 for 7 with New Zealand staring at defeat in the match and series. Taylor made a defiant unbeaten 42 and batted for 106 minutes helping his team secure a creditable draw.

Taylor scored 4579 runs in 141 First-Class matches including 4 hundreds. He also picked 422 wickets at an average of 25.13 and strike rate of 51.

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