When Tom Taylor signed for his third midlands county - rejecting a contract extension at Leicestershire to take up an offer from Northamptonshire - it was confirmation of his late-blooming status as a prized allrounder. Leicestershire admitted their disappointment at his decision, and Taylor left the club immediately on loan, taking two-for and scoring a 27-ball fifty on Northants debut to help his new side into the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.

In three injury-interrupted seasons at Grace Road, Taylor had shown glimpses of the talent that led him to be selected for the England Performance Programme at 20. He only played in eight first-class matches for Leicestershire, but claimed 32 wickets at 23.40 - including career-best figures of 6 for 47 and a maiden 10-wicket haul at Hove in 2019 - while averaging nearly 30 with the bat. His white-ball bowling was a work in progress, but he again served notice of his ability by slamming 98 not out from 56 balls in a Royal London game against Warwickshire.

A product of the Derbyshire academy, Taylor signed his first professional contract in 2014 and made his first-class debut in June of that year. Although in the side as a bowler, it was with the bat where he made most impact, scoring 40 during an important partnership with centurion David Wainwright to help his side to victory. His maiden first-class wicket came in his next game against Surrey when he dismissed South African batsman Hashim Amla. He took his first five-wicket haul at only 19, as Derbyshire beat Gloucestershire at the Cheltenham Festival, and was part of the EPP in 2015-16, but a stress fracture interrupted his development the following summer.

Tom's younger brother, James, also joined Derbyshire's staff at the end of 2017, but as the new year dawned, Tom was released with one year of his contract remaining and joined Leicestershire. His debut was delayed because of injury until the last Championship game of the season, but he took six Glamorgan wickets at Cardiff, enough to win him a contract extension.
ESPNcricinfo staff