Bruce Taylor made his name in cricket through a series of lucky breaks, but by also having the ability to instantly impress in a series of stunning debuts! As in 1965 while playing his cricket in South Canterbury as a 21 year-old, he received his first opportunity when he was called into the strong Canterbury Plunket Shield team at short notice, when Dick Motz was injured. Against a powerful Auckland attack (four of the five bowlers played for NZ) he announced himself by driving his first ball for 4 and carrying on to score a fine 49, then took an early wicket and finished with the figures of 21-8-57-3. Taylor had done enough to keep his place for the last game, v ND, and he further impressed with 31, then 5/49 and 2/38. Incidentally that wonderful Willows man John Mitchell made his Plunket Shield debut in this game and after coming in at 37/3 made a fine 56, before falling to Taylor.
The NZ team to tour India, Pakistan and England was then named and Taylor received his next big piece of good fortune when original selection Gary Bartlett withdrew from the team because of injury, so after just these two first class games Taylor was chosen on promise as his replacement. New Zealand drew the first test in India with Taylor watching on, and he wasn’t named for the second test either. But on the morning of this test Barry Sinclair had to withdraw because of illness, so again Taylor was a short notice replacement – and what a replacement! He came in to bat with 30 minutes to go to stumps on the first day and again he started memorably, playing too early at his first ball from Indian opening bowler Desai which was outside leg stump – it hit the back of his bat, deflected over the stumps and landed just short of a very surprised 2nd slip! But he managed to get through to stumps, with the great Bert Sutcliffe (aged 41) at the other end.
And the next day Taylor played his shots all the way to scoring 105, becoming just the second NZ batsman to score a century on test debut and putting on a then record partnership of 163 with Sutcliffe, who carried on to 151*. Taylor then took 5/86, and although the game was a draw Taylor had firmly written his name in the record books for all time, by scoring a century and taking five wickets in an innings on debut. He is still the only player EVER to achieve this feat, in over 150 years of test cricket! While he followed this dream debut up in the next test with 5/26 and 3/76, plus a vital 21 in NZ’s second innings to help his side scrape a draw at 80/8.
NZ then carried on to Pakistan and in his test debut against them Taylor entered after yet another NZ batting collapse, with the score a sorry 39/5. But he hit a terrific 76 (next best 22) to see NZ to 175, then in Pakistan’s reply of 318 he had the best figures of 3/38. But NZ was skittled 2nd time round for just 79, with Taylor left high and dry on 7*. By the time the sick and weary team left after seven tests and losing both series in the sub-continent Taylor had 21 wickets, with the next best being Vic Pollard’s 10.
Not unnaturally a tired Taylor’s form fell away somewhat in the early stages of the English tour, and he wasn’t picked for the first test. But he was back in for the 2nd test and made his debut against England at Lords, coming in with the team struggling, yet again, at 62/6. But once more Taylor rose to the occasion, hitting 51 and putting on 92 with Pollard, in what was Fred Trueman’s last test and John Snow’s first test. He then took two top order wickets in his 2-66 in England’s first innings, although NZ eventually lost by 7 wickets.
Taylor’s next memorable debut came against a strong Australian B side in 1967 – as after helping Canterbury to a memorable win over them by 4 wickets with 69 and 37*, Taylor again came to the party in the first of this series of unofficial tests. In this match his vital double of 92 and 38, plus the spin bowling of Pollard and Yuile with 18 wickets between them, saw NZ to victory and an eventual 1-0 series win. This was a very satisfying result and one which helped convince Australia to grant NZ official tests within six years.
And Taylor’s last debut against a test playing nation was in 1969, against a powerful West Indies side at Eden Park. Against an attack including all-time greats Wes Hall, Lance Gibbs and Garry Sobers, Taylor yet again entered with NZ (batting first) in trouble at 152/6. But Taylor smashed his way to 50 in just 30 minutes (3rd fastest ever in test cricket at that stage) and his century in 86 minutes (then the 5th fastest), reaching it with a colossal 6. When he was out for 124 he had hit 5x6 and 14x4, out of 163 runs scored while he was there, in what is undoubtedly still one of the greatest test innings ever played by a New Zealander. And while NZ ultimately lost what turned out to be a terrific test by 5 wickets, Taylor’s 3 wickets in the game included in the West Indies 2nd innings the following memorably golden scalp; Sobers LBW b Taylor 0.
Taylor eventually retired from test cricket after the 1973 tour of England (when NZ came agonisingly close to beating England in both the first 2 tests), as New Zealand’s then top wicket- taker in test cricket with 111. And he was only 102 runs off becoming the first Kiwi to reach the, at that time, very rare test double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets.
So through injury Taylor got his initial chance in first class cricket, then as an injury replacement he was the last man picked for the 1965 tour, followed soon after by making his stunning test debut as a sickness replacement – but wow did he ever make the very most of those unexpected opportunities, in a remarkable series of dramatic and dynamic debuts!