Captain Taylor begins to come of age (From Stroud News and Journal)

Captain Taylor begins to come of age

GLOUCESTERSHIRE'S Chris Taylor has been coming of age recently both on and off the pitch as his second season as skipper begins to heat up.

Not only is Taylor making his mark as a captain and leader to his new-look squad, but he is also in a rich vein of form, hitting the ball to all corners of the field to win the Thule Player of the Month award for May.

The affable Bristolian, 28, has lead from the front with his performances at the crease, and his excellent virtuoso performance against Glamorgan in the Frizzell County Championship match saw him bat his side to victory by seven wickets.

Indeed, at the match at Sophia Gardens Gloucestershire put on their best batting performance of the season so far.

Taylor won the toss and then went on to play brilliantly - at one point looking like he might make the first double century of his career. His 185-ball innings included 22 fours and four sixes and was his tenth first class century.

Later on in the month, Gloucestershire played Surrey in the C&G Trophy in an ultimately disappointing clash that saw the County Ground side bow out of the competition. In the face of immense pressure, Taylor managed to launch a recovery and scored 71 against his side's one-day rivals.

Peter Barker, the Thule marketing manager who presents the unique award to the players every month, paid tribute to the captain and said: "The award is presented to the player who exceeds himself - and this month, Chris proved himself to be a fine captain and excellent batsman."

Taylor, a former junior rugby star, has risen steadily through the ranks at Gloucestershire, maturing into an exciting batsman. Making his debut for Gloucestershire in 2000 against Middlesex at Lord's, he marked the occasion with a century. His highest score in first class cricket came the following season at Trent Bridge, with his innings of 196.