JASWICK OSSIE TAYLOR, who died in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on November 13 aged 67, was a slim but strong fast bowler of lively pace. He was bothered by back trouble early in his career and had played only five matches for Trinidad when he earned selection for West Indies in the final Test of the 1958 home series against Pakistan at the Queen's Park Oval. Required to take up the slack after Roy Gilchrist sprained an ankle and was restricted to seven overs, Taylor sent down 36.5 overs and his stamina and persistence were rewarded with figures of 5 for 109 in Pakistan's only innings of 496. The performance earned him automatic selection for the tour of India and Pakistan in 1958-59 where he was expected to be Gilchrist's new ball partner. Instead, he was superseded by young Wes Hall, a late choice for the team after Frank Worrell's last-minute withdrawal, who first made his mark as the finest fast bowler of his time. Taylor played only two of the five Tests, the first in India when Gilchrist was injured, the second in Pakistan after Gilchrist had been sent home for disciplinary reasons. He took 35 wickets (average 18.31) in all first-class matches on tour. He played only two more matches on his return to Trinidad, where he was a customs officer and represented several club teams.
Tony Cozier, The Cricketer