Quote:At his best, West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor can be seriously devastating, capable of raining down sudden and complete destruction on the opposition’s batting. At his best he is a bowler of considerable skill and rapid pace, and it has been so from the time he was very young.

He was only around 10 when he approached his father one day, delivering himself most importunately, suggesting that he was now ready for a place on the local cricket team that the senior Taylor captained. Deciding to indulge his son, he brought him along to the next practice session and handed him the ball. The result: three wickets in his first three deliveries, all bowled. It would have been four in four, too, for the batsman was hit dead in front, but there was, of course, no umpire.

Taylor went on to star for his high school, St Elizabeth Technical, in Jamaica,  and made his first-class debut in February 2003 against the Windward Islands at Sabina Park. Disappointingly wicket-less in his first game – clearly the victim of nerves – he was dropped for the next two, but returned for the encounter against Guyana at Bourda where he collected only one wicket, though he bowled well.

The next game was against Trinidad at the Queens Park Oval, and those fortunate enough to witness the Jamaican quick’s performance in the second innings spoke about it for a long time.

From 20.5 overs he snatched 8-59, seven of them bowled or leg before. Bowling at high pace, he was particularly proficient at bringing the ball startlingly back into the right-hander. Based on that performance many predicted a long and fruitful international career. Taylor first played for the West Indies in n ODI in St. Vincent, against Sri Lanka, and did well enough, taking 2-39 runs off 10 overs. He made his Test debut nine days later on June 20, 2003, in St. Lucia, against the same opposition. He was 18.