Herbie Taylor
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Herbert Wilfred Taylor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
5 May 1889 Durban, Colony of Natal |
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| Died | 8 February 1973 (aged 83) Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa |
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| Nickname | Herbie, Herby | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting style | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling style | Right-arm unknown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Dan Taylor (brother), Daniel Taylor (father) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 77) | 27 May 1912 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 27 February 1932 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1936 | Western Province | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1933–1935 | Natal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1932 | MCC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1925–1930 | Transvaal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1910–1924 | Natal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: CricketArchive, 30 April 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Herbert Wilfred Taylor MC (5 May 1889 – 8 February 1973) was a South African cricketer who played 42 Tests for his country including 18 as captain of the side. Specifically a batsman, he was an expert on the matting pitches which were prevalent in South Africa at the time and scored six of his seven centuries at home. His batting was also noted for quick footwork and exceptional 'backplay'. He became the first South African to pass 2,500 Test runs and was selected one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1925. In domestic cricket, he played for Natal, Transvaal and Western Province.
Taylor's greatest achievement is generally reckoned to be scoring 508 runs at an average of 50.80 in the 1913–14 Test series against England, in spite of English bowler Sydney Barnes taking a record 49 wickets in the series at 10.93. The cricket historian H.S. Altham wrote: "The English cricketers were unanimous that finer batting than his against Barnes at his best they never hoped to see." Neville Cardus noted it was "perhaps the most skilful of all Test performances by a batsman." It also led Cardus to count Taylor as "one of the six greatest batsmen of the post-Grace period".
Born in Durban, Taylor attended Michaelhouse School from 1903 to 1907, during which period he was coached by Sussex bowler George Cox. Taylor made his first-class debut for Natal in January 1910 against the touring MCC team, he opened the batting in both innings, scoring 55 and 30. After finishing the 1910/11 season as second highest run scorer in the Currie Cup, he was selected for South Africa's touring party to England in 1912.
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