Ken Taylor (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Ken Taylor is an English
former cricket
er, who played in three Tests
for England from 1959 to 1964. He also played first-class cricket
for Yorkshire
. He was renowned as a good player of spin and was one of the best cover fielders of his generation, while his medium pace 'darts' broke many a stubborn partnership for his county captains
, Ray Illingworth
and Brian Close
.
The cricket correspondent, Colin Bateman, commented that Taylor was, "a fine, straight-hitting batsman and brilliant fielder.... yet he never made full use of his bounteous abilities and was affected by nerves when the stakes were high". Bateman added, "'A total enigma' was how one former team-mate described him".
He was also a professional footballer in the winter, and later a professional artist.
show on the beach at Blackpool
. His elder brother, Jeff Taylor
, played professional football for Huddersfield Town
, Fulham
and Brentford
; he also studied geography at the University of London
, and then went to the Royal Academy of Music
and became an opera singer.
Ken Taylor attended Stile Common School in Huddersfield. He joined the groundstaff at Huddersfield Town after leaving school in 1950, and made 250 first-team appearances for them from 1953 to 1965, before playing for Bradford (Park Avenue)
from 1965 to 1967, playing as a centre half. He also played for England under 23s
. He played in the extraordinary match
against Charlton Athletic
on 21 December 1957. Charlton played most of the match with ten men after Derek Ufton
was injured, and Huddersfield were leading 5–1 with just 27 minutes remaining. At that point, Johnny Summers began an extraordinary passage of play in which he scored five goals and assisted with two others to allow Charlton to win 7–6. Huddersfield become the first, and still the only, team
to score six goals in an English Football League match – or indeed any other professional football match – and still be on the losing side.
Taylor was also important member of the successful Yorkshire team which dominated the County Championship
in the 1960s, winning seven titles between 1959 and 1968. Often an opening batsman, he was also an occasional bowler, taking 131 first-class wickets in his career. He was a member of the Yorkshire team that won the final of the third Gillette Cup, in 1965. Taylor made his first appearance for Yorkshire in 1953, aged 17, won his county cap at 21 and played for England at 23, opening the batting against India with Arthur Milton
. He was dropped after two matches, but was selected agaim in 1964, after an epic innings of 160 at Sheffield
against the visiting Australians. Unfortunately he broke a finger in that match, and was not selected for his country again. After a benefit
, he retired from professional cricket in 1968.
His father encouraged him to find a job that would continue after he stopped "playing games", and he studied at Huddersfield Art School and then the Slade School of Fine Art
in London from 1956, and became a professional artist. After retiring from cricket he taught art in Norfolk for more than thirty years. His son, Nick Taylor
, also played first-class cricket for Yorkshire, Surrey
and Somerset
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who played in three Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for England from 1959 to 1964. He also played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
. He was renowned as a good player of spin and was one of the best cover fielders of his generation, while his medium pace 'darts' broke many a stubborn partnership for his county captains
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
, Ray Illingworth
Ray Illingworth
Raymond Illingworth, CBE is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. He was one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in First class cricket, and the last one to do so...
and Brian Close
Brian Close
Dennis Brian Close , usually known as Brian Close, is a former cricketer who is the youngest man ever to play Test cricket for England. He was picked for the Test team to play against New Zealand, in July 1949, when he was 18 years old. Close went on to play 22 Test matches for England,...
.
The cricket correspondent, Colin Bateman, commented that Taylor was, "a fine, straight-hitting batsman and brilliant fielder.... yet he never made full use of his bounteous abilities and was affected by nerves when the stakes were high". Bateman added, "'A total enigma' was how one former team-mate described him".
He was also a professional footballer in the winter, and later a professional artist.
Life and career
Taylor's father repaired looms in the local weaving industry. His maternal grandfather was a ventriloquist, and ran a Punch and JudyPunch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
show on the beach at Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. His elder brother, Jeff Taylor
Jeff Taylor (footballer)
Jeffrey Neilson "Jeff" Taylor was a professional footballer, who played for Huddersfield Town, Fulham and Brentford.His younger brother, Ken Taylor also played football for Huddersfield...
, played professional football for Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
; he also studied geography at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and then went to the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
and became an opera singer.
Ken Taylor attended Stile Common School in Huddersfield. He joined the groundstaff at Huddersfield Town after leaving school in 1950, and made 250 first-team appearances for them from 1953 to 1965, before playing for Bradford (Park Avenue)
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
from 1965 to 1967, playing as a centre half. He also played for England under 23s
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He played in the extraordinary match
Charlton Athletic F.C. 7–6 Huddersfield Town F.C.
Charlton Athletic F.C. 7–6 Huddersfield Town F.C. was an association football match between Football League Second Division teams Charlton Athletic F.C. and Huddersfield Town F.C. that took place on 21 December 1957 at Charlton Athletic's home ground, The Valley...
against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 21 December 1957. Charlton played most of the match with ten men after Derek Ufton
Derek Ufton
Derek Gilbert Ufton was a professional cricketer and footballer, and later a football manager for Plymouth Argyle....
was injured, and Huddersfield were leading 5–1 with just 27 minutes remaining. At that point, Johnny Summers began an extraordinary passage of play in which he scored five goals and assisted with two others to allow Charlton to win 7–6. Huddersfield become the first, and still the only, team
Football records in England
This page details football records in England. Unless otherwise stated, records are taken from the Football League or Premier League. Where a different record exists for the top flight , this is also given.-League:Records in this section refer to The Football League and the Premier...
to score six goals in an English Football League match – or indeed any other professional football match – and still be on the losing side.
Taylor was also important member of the successful Yorkshire team which dominated the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in the 1960s, winning seven titles between 1959 and 1968. Often an opening batsman, he was also an occasional bowler, taking 131 first-class wickets in his career. He was a member of the Yorkshire team that won the final of the third Gillette Cup, in 1965. Taylor made his first appearance for Yorkshire in 1953, aged 17, won his county cap at 21 and played for England at 23, opening the batting against India with Arthur Milton
Arthur Milton
Clement Arthur Milton was an English cricketer and footballer. He played County cricket for Gloucestershire from 1948 to 1974, playing six Test matches for England in 1958 and 1959. He also played domestic football for Arsenal between 1951 and 1955, and then for a brief period for Bristol City...
. He was dropped after two matches, but was selected agaim in 1964, after an epic innings of 160 at Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
against the visiting Australians. Unfortunately he broke a finger in that match, and was not selected for his country again. After a benefit
Benefit (sports)
A benefit or testimonial is a match or season of activities granted by a sporting body to a loyal sportsman to boost their income before retirement. Often this is in the form of a match for which all the ticket proceeds are given to the player in question.There have been occasions when a...
, he retired from professional cricket in 1968.
His father encouraged him to find a job that would continue after he stopped "playing games", and he studied at Huddersfield Art School and then the Slade School of Fine Art
Slade School of Fine Art
The Slade School of Fine Art is a world-renownedart school in London, United Kingdom, and a department of University College London...
in London from 1956, and became a professional artist. After retiring from cricket he taught art in Norfolk for more than thirty years. His son, Nick Taylor
Nick Taylor (cricketer)
Nick Taylor is an English former first-class cricketer. The son of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club stalwart Ken Taylor, he made his debut as a strapping right arm fast medium bowler, and right-handed tail end batsman, for Yorkshire in 1982...
, also played first-class cricket for Yorkshire, Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
.
External links
- Profile from CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- Profile from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- Triple-talented Tyke, Cricinfo
- Renaissance man, Cricinfo,