Full Name

Leslie Brian Taylor

Born

October 25, 1953, Earl Shilton, Leicestershire

Age

70y 155d

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Fast medium

Height

6ft 3in

Education

Heathfield High School, Earl Shilton

Les Taylor was one of the last of a breed - an English seamer from down the mines. Tall and muscular, he used accuracy and movement off the seam to good effect, and although he was 23 before he made his Leicestershire debut, he quickly established himself in the side. In 1981 he took 75 wickets, but threw in his lot with Graham Gooch's rebel tour to South Africa when overlooked by the selectors. On that trip he was the leading bowler with 11 wickets at 18.72. He made his England debut in 1985 after serving a three-year ban, playing the final two Tests of the summer. He did enough to win selection for that winter's tour of the Caribbean, but so rare were his outings in the West Indies that he was dubbed "Lord Lucan" by sections of the media. His career was dogged by niggling injuries - Martin Johnson once wrote that when Taylor was playing "the Grace Road physiotherapist got through more work than a Skegness donkey". As a batsman, Taylor was a genuine No. 11 - on one occasion with Leicestershire needing 20 to avoid the follow-on, Taylor arrived at the crease to face a rampaging Sylvester Clarke. David Gower, the Leicestershire captain, shook his head. "I just can't do it," he said, and declared.
Martin Williamson

Les Taylor Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
Tests21111*-1010.00000010
ODIs21111*-616.66000000
FC218199861061609.38--0---530
List A210654416615*7.90--00--420

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests2438117842/343/7344.502.8095.2000
ODIs2284470---3.35-000
FC218-31480146485817/28-25.212.7954.1-181
List A210-956164683026/356/3521.414.0531.6840
Les Taylor portrait

Explore Statsguru Analysis

Test
ODI

Debut/Last Matches of Les Taylor

Recent Matches of Les Taylor

MatchBatBowlDateGroundFormat
Leics vs Scotland--3/6512-May-1990LeicesterList A
Leics vs Essex----10-May-1990ChelmsfordList A
Leics vs Notts--1/3401-May-1990NottinghamList A
Leics vs Northants--1/3224-Apr-1990LeicesterList A
Leics vs Essex2 & 0*0/5008-Sep-1989LeicesterFC

Photos of Les Taylor

From left: Les Taylor, Bob Willis, Neil Foster, Bob Cottam and Greg Thomas practise at the Lilleshall Sports Centre, Newport, Shropshire
Les Taylor