James Taylor says he relished fielding at short leg, one of cricket’s most dangerous positions, where a fielder stands close to the batter and in the path of powerful shots. “You’re so close to it and involved every ball,” he recalled. “Honestly, you feel so alive!”
Taylor said he wanted the ball to come his way rather than fearing the role. At 5ft 6in and nicknamed “Titch”, he was often placed at short leg, but he had chosen the position even as a schoolboy captain because he enjoyed it and felt suited to it.
His ability there was on display during England’s Test against South Africa in Johannesburg a decade ago. Taylor took two catches at short leg within about half an hour, helping England win the match. The first dismissed Hashim Amla off Stuart Broad, with Taylor gathering the ball just above the ground. A few overs later, he dived to catch Dane Vilas.
Taylor said the Amla catch was the better of the two because the ball came faster and lower. He had practised that type of chance repeatedly the previous day with England assistant coach Paul Farbrace, who used a boxing sparring pad to deflect balls towards his feet.
The close position also gives fielders an unusually intimate view of the contest, Taylor said: they can see a batter’s reaction and hear what is said as the bowler runs in. He recalled being at short leg while James Anderson put pressure on a batter, describing it as having “front-row tickets” to an intense moment.
The catches later took on added significance for both players. Vilas said the dismissal was the final shot of his Test career, though he went on to make happy memories at Lancashire, where he became club captain. Taylor, meanwhile, was forced to retire from professional cricket aged 26 after being diagnosed with an incurable heart condition, a few months after the South Africa tour.
He later spent four years in selection roles at the ECB and is now Leicestershire’s assistant head and lead batting coach. Taylor said the catches remain special, recalling the elation of taking two in one day during one of the last matches he played.
Sources: The Guardian Sport.