Larry Williams Drive

Ross Taylor is currently playing his last match for the Black Caps. 16 years is an awfully good run. Particularly for a Samoan big hitter from Masterton who excelled as a kid swatting the ball to boundaries. But to master the red ball game and end out our highest scorer at the highest level is a feat-and-a-half. 7683 runs, including 19 centuries from 112 matches between 2007 and 2022, with a batting average of 44.66 runs. His record in One Day Internationals is similar. But all that's for the nerds. I love Ross for his grit. Frankly, I find him a beautiful man, but an ugly batsman. Watching Williamson or Conway or Guptill is far more aesthetic. Ross has always overbalanced. His big head seeming to fall forward under the weight of his massive tongue which he is far too fond of sticking out. There always appears to be a massive hole between his bat and pad, which he then shuts down by dramatically collapsing his knees and squatting on the ball. Every season he's come out batting ugly, and then Martin Crowe woul