Cricket: Record innings from Ross Taylor puts Black Caps on top

Taylor was dismissed for 290 on the second day of the second test against Australia at the Waca. Photo / Getty Images

History beckoned for Ross Taylor at the Waca today, and while he checked off milestones on the way, fell 13 runs short of the New Zealand batting record.

Taylor was last man out just before lunch for 290, the third highest individual score by a New Zealander as New Zealand were finally dismissed for 624, their biggest test total against Australia. It was the third time New Zealand had passed 500 against Australia.

Taylor had already become the scorer of the highest century against Australia in Australia, having long past the best score by a New Zealand in transtasman tests.

He had 300 in his sights, and the chance to overtake captain Brendon McCullum's record 302, when he swept hard at offspinner Nathan Lyon to be well caught, running in from deep mid wicket by substitute fielder Jon Wells.

Taylor, who began the fourth day on 235, hit 43 fours in his 374-ball innings, which lasted 567 minutes - or just under nine and a half hours - and had begun late on Saturday afternoon.

It is his 13th test century, just four behind his mentor Martin Crowe.

Only McCullum, with his triple ton against India in Wellington last year, and Crowe's 299 against Sri Lanka, also at the Basin Reserve in 1990-91, have had higher test innings than Taylor.

At lunch Australia, trailing by 65 runs, were none without loss off one over.

Taylor scored at a brisk rate throughout, until joined by last man Trent Boult, who finished unbeaten on 23.

Taylor inched his way past England's Tip Foster's mark of 287 as the highest score by an overseas player in Australia, as the hosts spread the field to slow things down.

He had decent support through the latter stages of his innings from Mark Craig (40 for the seventh wicket), Matt Henry (29 for the eighth), Tim Southee (33 for the ninth) and finally Trent Boult, who shared a 37-run stand for the final wicket.

Boult helped himself to six, four, four in successive deliveries from seamer Josh Hazlewood late on as salt was rubbed into Australian wounds.

Taylor had a poor first test at the Gabba, being dismissed for 0 and 26. However he worked hard in the interim and had a rich reward today.

''After the way I batted in Brisbane I was pretty rusty and all over the show," Taylor said before play today.

''I trained the house down leading into that game, and obviously the results didn't show.

''I came into this game not putting too much expectation on myself, had a net for half an hour and it was nice not to think about it too much. It was nice to go out and express myself.

''(Brisbane) played a little bit on my mind. You start questioning yourself and little doubts creep in so it was nice to get rid of those."

NZ highest test totals v Australia
624, Perth, 2015
553-7 dec, Brisbane 1985
534-9 dec, Perth, 2000-01

Highest individual score against Australia in Australia:
290: Ross Taylor (NZ), Perth 2015
287: Tip Foster (England), Sydney 1903-04
277: Brian Lara (West Indies), Sydney, 1993
251: Walter Hammond (England), Sydney, 1928
241 not out: Sachin Tendulkar (India), Sydney 2004

New Zealand's highest test scores:
302: Brendon McCullum, v India, Wellington 2014
299: Martin Crowe, v Sri Lanka, Wellington 1990-91
290: Ross Taylor, v Australia, Perth 2015
274 not out: Stephen Fleming, v Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2002-03
267 not out: Bryan Young, v Sri Lanka, Dunedin, 1996-97
262: Fleming, v South Africa, Cape Town, 2005
259: Glenn Turner, v West Indies, Guyana, 1972
242 not out: Kane Williamson, v Sri Lanka, 2014
239: Graham Dowling, v India, Christchurch, 1968
230 not out: Bert Sutcliffe, v India, New Delhi, 1955-56