Cricket: Black Caps hero Ross Taylor hopeful of playing in series decider against England

Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor is hopeful he's available to play in the deciding fifth ODI against England on Saturday after setting up a must-win encounter with a brilliant match-winning knock in Dunedin yesterday.

Taylor needed attention to his hip and quad while also suffering cramp to his arm near the tail-end of his 181 not out as the Black Caps chased down 335 to win by five wickets with three balls to spare.

Taylor, who turns 34 today, told the Radio Sport Breakfast this morning that's he's hopeful of playing in Christchurch but won't be fully fit if he does take the field.

"I obviously won't be 100 but we'll have to wait and see with the next couple of days off and give it the best chance possible," Taylor said.

"I was just cramping in the forearm. I was thinking 'oh no'. It was locked forward when I hit it out to cover. How embarrassing."

"I hurt my hip in the last game. Just the hip and quad. It wasn't the most elegant dives you've ever seen. Just felt it a little bit. So got the physio out and as I batted on, cramp started setting in as well."

Taylor came to the crease with New Zealand at 2 for 2 after losing both opener Colin Munro and Martin Guptill for ducks.

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Taylor crafted his 19th ODI century before the mounting injuries left him swinging for the fences in the later overs, which saw him reach his highest ODI score.

"One thing over the last season is I've been pretty calm. I didn't panic. When you're chasing 300-330 you never win the game in the first 10 overs but you can certainly lose it. If we'd lost another wicket in those first 10 overs it would have been hard to come back from," Taylor said.

"We [Taylor and Williamson] had little goals along the way and once we got there, the confidence grew and starting seeing the ball better. Then Tom came out and played exceptionally well,"

"Once we got it to a run a ball I thought we should win it from there."

Mark Chapman will rejoin the Black Caps squad in Christchurch as cover for Taylor.