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Cover story
James Taylor
“People are always keen to remind me that
I’m only 23 but I know that I could be
playing a bit higher given the opportunity,”
he said.
“It does frustrate me because I want to be
there as soon as I can. I’m very greedy in
that sense because I’m never satisfied with
what I’ve got.
“I’ll always be pushing myself and working
to make the next step. If I get back into
Test cricket again, I’ll work that bit harder
to stay there.”
Taylor credits his parents with instilling
the drive and determination that has got
him to this point. Sporting pedigree in
his family had been largely confined to
equestrianism where siblings and cousins
have gained representative honours.
He made his first-class debut for
Leicestershire in 2008, before setting Grace
Road alight by becoming the first teenager
to score a thousand runs in a season in his
second campaign.
A double-century against Surrey saw him
become the youngest Leicestershire player
to achieve such a feat. England Lions
recognition followed and the England
selectors were forced to question whether
Taylor was the real deal or whether he
was simply destroying inferior attacks in
DivisionTwo.
His move toTrent Bridge was designed to
answer that question and, with a year of his
contract remaining, a deal was struck to
secure his services.
“I moved to Division One to test myself at
the top level and that meant scoring runs
consistently against better bowlers,” he
said.
“In the first year it was a big challenge
but now I feel that I’ve bedded in and
my scores have improved. I feel that I’ve
progressed nicely and my cricket, and my
statistics, have moved forwards.”
Privately educated, his cricketing talent was
nurtured on school playing fields although
his early sporting promise was shown in
football and rugby. He struggles to recall
his first flashes with willow but concedes
that his dad would have put a bat in his
hand at some stage.
“I actually think that I was better at
football and rugby at prep school but
I went further in cricket earlier and it
eventually took over,” he said.
“I got selected for Midlands Under 13s
and that was when I realised that I had
Single-minded on his quest
to add to his twoTest caps,
he has enhanced his status in
the game significantly since
moving to Nottinghamshire
in 2012.
Taylor deputising for Chris
Read in Nottinghamshire’s
LV= CC clash against
Surrey