Cricket World Cup: Ross Taylor lacking fluency but still vital cog

Ross Taylor is offering value, if not full fluency, in the World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

It says something about the New Zealand cricket team's form that Ross Taylor is under more scrutiny than anyone, if anecdotal feedback on talkback radio and social media is a gauge.

This is the batsman who, on Friday night, became the fastest New Zealander to 5000 one-day international runs. Taylor completed the feat in 144 innings, faster than Nathan Astle (147), Australians Michael Clarke (148) and Adam Gilchrist (153) and Kumar Sangakkara (162). He is the 27th fastest in history.

This is the same Taylor who, in the United Arab Emirates against Pakistan in December, became the first New Zealander to score three consecutive ODI centuries.

He scored 105 not out in the first match and bookended it with 88 not out in the final match to help win the series. He also scored 102 not out off 70 balls against Pakistan in the last New Zealand ODI before the World Cup.

Taylor appears a victim of his own success. The expectations are daunting when you average more than 44 in each of the last five calendar years, including 66.20 from 13 ODI innings in 2014 and 51 from 13 innings in 2011.

This year, he averages 44.20 in 14 innings. The only top-seven batsmen to average more are Kane Williamson (59 from 12 innings) and Grant Elliott (44.66 from 12).

As one of three New Zealand ODI batsmen - with Glenn Turner and Williamson - to average over 40, Taylor's record does not absolve him from reproach. The No 4 could be accused of a deficiency in strike rate which has dipped from 90 in 2012 to 78 in 2013 - 88 last year and 76 this year.

Friday's innings provided the catalyst for criticism. Taylor's 56 came from 97 balls - a rate of 58.

Yet, what options did he have coming in at 33 for two in the fifth over? Sure, his innings used 32 per cent of the team's resources, which put pressure on the remaining batsmen, but what would have happened if Taylor had been dismissed early playing a flashy shot in the interests of sustaining a run-a-ball pace? New Zealand would have likely struggled, given the narrow victory margin of three wickets with seven balls to spare.

In essence, Taylor's 58 dot balls provided the biggest concern but trying to combat the world-class left-arm orthodox spin of Shakib Al Hasan (two singles off 11 balls) and in-form pace of Rubel Hossain (three singles and a four from 16 balls) brought a real challenge.

Instead, Taylor opted to support the in-form Martin Guptill who maintained the innings cadence by reaching the first of his six ODI centuries at better than a run-a-ball. Their third-wicket partnership of 131 came at a run rate of 5.07 runs an over.

In Taylor's further 10.4 overs at the crease, the run rate increased to 5.15. Given New Zealand needed an overall rate of 5.78 to win, the required acceleration wasn't daunting. And that's the role for which Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi are employed in the bowling powerplay and death overs.

Taylor's waste of the solitary review which was subsequently shown to be a plumb lbw was a poor call, but to labour the point risks being churlish.

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