The little and large of English cricket

In the Sunday Times, Simon Wilde looks at the development of two of England's most exciting home-grown prospects - batsman James Taylor and fast bowler Steve Finn.

At 5ft 5in, Taylor, whose father, Steve, is a former National Hunt jockey, is easily the smallest English player on the circuit, but he regards his lack of inches as an advantage. He enjoys facing the fast men, who find their short-pitched balls either fly harmlessly over his head or are cut and pulled with brutal force. Bowling to Taylor at one end and the 6ft 10in Will Jefferson at the other must be the equivalent of patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time.