Taylor calms anxious dad

Neil Taylor admits even he was getting a "little anxious" about the recent lack of batting form of son Ross before he smashed a match-winning 131 not out for the Black Caps in their World Cup win over Pakistan in Sri Lanka yesterday.
"The media had been knocking him for a while and I was starting to wonder myself when he would start showing some form again," Neil Taylor said from his Masterton home yesterday.
"But you always have it in the back of your mind that the luck could change any day. It's the waiting for that day to come which is the hardest part."
First impressions for Neil Taylor was that yesterday's fixture was not about to be "that day".
Ross, celebrating his 27th birthday, started sluggishly and the former Wairarapa College first XI skipper had the good fortune to have two easy catching chances missed before reaching double figures.
"I thought, 'oh no, not again'," Neil said. "He didn't look in good nick. I thought if he got to 15 or 20, he'd be doing well.".
The fatherly confidence improved, however, as Ross began to take to the Pakistan attack and Neil was not surprised at the power hitting he showed during a memorable last six overs.
"He's always been able to hit the ball a long way and so I was pretty much expecting him to cut loose towards the end. He's generally in his element then."
The popular Cricinfo website provided a colourful description of Taylor's effort (seven sixes and eight fours), saying he launched an assault so brutal, Pakistan were "gutted and rendered defenceless by the end of the innings.".
Cricinfo continued: "In the last six overs, Taylor broke free with unprecedented violence, taking 28 off a Shoaib over before plundering 30 off one from Abdul Razzaq. It began to rain sixes and fours and Pakistan's helplessness was startling, as New Zealand plundered 114 off the last six overs to reach 302."
Cricinfo said Pakistan were still "swooning" from Taylor's "rope-a-dope" when they began their chase and the inevitable collapse had come to pass.
They slumped from 23-4 to 66-6 and were finally dismissed for 192, leaving the Black Caps with a morale-boosting 110-run win.