Player of the Month

November 1997: Mark Taylor

Highlights of Taylor's November: Victory in the Australia - New Zealand Test series. 112 in the first innings, 5 catches for the match, Man of the Match award, First Test v New Zealand, November 7-11 Scorecard | Match report Broke the world Test record for the most catches by one fielder from one bowler (42 off Shane Warne) Related Player of the Month pages: Who missed out? The good, the bad and the ugly of November. The selection process for Players of the Month Previous Players of the Month

This November we honour an individual not so much for his achievements this month but for a culmination of many year's achievements - and we recognise him not primarily for batting or bowling, but for two other essential elements of winning cricket - fielding and leadership. An outstanding leader and tactician, he led Australia to a Test series victory against New Zealand - not so much of an achievement in itself, except that it represents Australia's eighth consecutive series victory in three years (two each against England and the West Indies, one each against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and New Zealand). A one-off Test loss at Delhi is the only glitch during that time, but those efforts stand as the most successful since Clive Lloyd led a West Indies side dripping with individual genius. Under much criticism for his batting over the past year, he led the way at the commencement of the First Test against New Zealand with a sterling 112 at a time when New Zealand could have easily taken an early advantage in the series. While his batting may not be of the same level as in 1989 or 1990, his total of sixteen centuries over the past nine years is not to be dismissed lightly. An outstanding fieldsman in a team of outstanding fieldsmen (who were no better than on the opening day of the second Test at the WACA), his combination with Shane Warne reached world record levels when they surpassed the 39 career catches of the "ct Sobers b Gibbs" combination during the First Test at the Gabba. A fine team leader and one of a tradition of fine results-oriented captains produced in the Sheffield Shield over the past ten years, notably David Hookes and Geoff Lawson. The second player (after Ranatunga) to be chosen for Player of the Month primarily for captaincy, and the second Australian to be selected for the award, November 1997's googler's Player of the Month is New South Wales and Australia's Mark Anthony Taylor.

Photograph of Mark Taylor by Rob Cox, Copyright 1997 Action Photographics. Not to be reproduced without permission of the copyright holders.

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