Hamilton: Ross Taylor played his last match for New Zealand in the third ODI against Netherlands (NZ vs NED) here on Monday in which he scored 14 runs and the audience stood up to greet the legend. This was Taylor’s 450th and last match for New Zealand, which also marked the end of his 16-year international career.
The 38-year-old batsman played his last Test match against South Africa earlier this year but wanted to bid adieu to cricket by playing the last match at his home ground, Seden Park. Taylor’s children Mackenzie, Jonty and Adelaide stood by him during the national anthem. When he came on the field and returned, the players of the Netherlands stood by his side and paid him respect.
For the last time in International cricket, let’s go Ross Taylor. pic.twitter.com/Thq7AO0OWw
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 4, 2022
Taylor played his first ODI in 2006 for New Zealand. The following year he played his first Test. He scored 7,683 runs in 112 Test matches with the help of 19 centuries. Taylor scored 8,593 runs in 236 One Day Internationals and 1,909 runs in 102 T20 Internationals. Taylor is the only player in the world to have played more than 100 international matches in all three formats.
He had to wait a long time to get to the crease in his last match. Martin Guptill and Will Young’s partnership of 203 runs for the second wicket helped him to reach the crease in the 39th over. As soon as he came to the ground, the audience stood up and greeted him. There was a faint smile on his face when he was returning back to the pavilion after being dismissed for 14 runs.
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He went out from among the players of the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the audience stood up and greeted him. Taylor later told Radio New Zealand, “I always played according to the circumstances and with a smile on my face. I represented my country with full pride and honour. I wanted to play for the country from the beginning.” (agency)