KEY POINTS:
As far as tests of character go, a double failure at Lord's and the sight of a teammate bleeding on the cricket pitch is a good start.
So after he'd shaken the image of young Daniel Flynn spitting blood and teeth on to Old Trafford, Ross Taylor set
about righting his England tour and inflicting some pain on the hosts.
Befitting his talent, Taylor hit the innings of his life, 154 not out, to spur New Zealand to a position of strength on day two of the second test.
It was the fourth highest New Zealand test innings in England, behind Martin Donnelly's double-century in 1949 and two Bevan Congdon 170s from the 1973 tour, and topped Martin Crowe's New Zealand record at Old Trafford of 115, in 1994.
The Old Trafford boundaries were peppered with 17 fours and five sixes in a tick under five special hours, as he faced just 176 deliveries.
A week earlier, Taylor was skittery at Lord's, falling for 19 and 20 in pursuit of his coveted century at the home of cricket and looking like the Indian Premier League was taking time to shake from his system.
"A lot of people probably thought I was nervous at Lord's - yes I was nervous but no more than playing in any other test match," Taylor said. "I just felt a little bit out of sorts but I worked hard in the last couple of days and that hard work made me feel a lot more relaxed."
The biggest challenge for Taylor, 24, was ridding the queasy feeling from his stomach after Flynn's face was smashed by a James Anderson bouncer.
New Zealand were 136 for four, and effectively five down with Flynn's imminent departure, leaving Taylor as the big hope.
"It's never good to see a teammate in that state. I had a similar situation in South Africa when Craig Cumming got hit," he said. "There was a bit of blood beside the crease but it's something you try not to think about.
"Daniel opened his mouth and it wasn't a pleasant sight. I didn't hang around very long. I couldn't be a doctor."
With Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom whistling the ball around the New Zealand batsmen's ears, Taylor remained composed.
He resumed on 67 on day two, watched teammates Oram and Daniel Vettori run themselves out in bizarre fashion within three balls, then was poised in the 90s for almost 50 minutes as Kyle Mills took charge on the way to his highest test score, 57.
When he nudged a single off Monty Panesar, 25 minutes before lunch, he ran towards the pavilion with both arms raised, celebrating his second century in just his seventh test.
"I just played straight, that was the gameplan and I know if I have a base plan in playing straight and they bowl in other areas my natural instincts will take over."
Then it got exciting as Taylor swung the willow, in Twenty20 style, as his partners began to run out.
His third 50 took just 42 balls and included four sixes as his textbook straight drives and cuts became baseball-style home runs.
England opener Andrew Strauss admitted they had little answer as Taylor spurred New Zealand to a solid 381.
"Ross Taylor took the game to us and maybe we didn't react as well as we could have done to the way he played," Strauss said. "Sometimes you've got to take your hat off to a guy that's taken the game to you and come off. That does happen sometimes."
- NZPA
