There wasn’t much flash or hype about Ross Taylor’s innings in the second ODI against Pakistan. Coming in after a ripper of a catch had despatched with El Capitan, he’d picked off a run-a-ball 14 when the rain set in and for two almost two and a half hours Sunny Nelson was the soggiest place in Aotearoa.

Eventually they came back out to finish it off and Martin Guptill, Taylor’s best mate, went wild by pumping a couple sixes to begin the second over after the resumption. He then took 12 runs off Shadab Khan’s following set-of-six. Rossco got in on the act when Rumman Raees came in to bowl but it was Guppy that hit a man of the match 86* (off 71 balls) for the victory. Taylor’s 45not from 43 balls was almost lost in the mix, (understandably).

But that was a handy little dash of red ink for Taylor. Not just because of the unbeaten 104 run partnership with his buddy that earned another ODI win for the Blackcaps but also because he tipped his career average back over 45 for the first time since he scored 84 in Hobart against the Aussies in a big defeat back in January 2007, more than a decade ago. That was his eighth One Day International. This was his 198th.

He almost topped 45 again in the third game against the Windies, the one on Boxing Day, when he bagged another 40-something unbeaten in a rain-affected win. 47no on this occasion, exactly one run short of getting to 45.00. Blame Henry Nicholls for racing to the finish line too quickly, not that anyone would’ve known or even been bothered about such a statistical milestone. Maybe it’s a benchmark, but it’s also a bit of a random achievement to celebrate. Only matter because it’s a round number, right? Sure, although if you drop out anyone with fewer than 2000 ODI runs for New Zealand then the only man in history with a better average is Kane Williamson at 46.63, with Martin Guptill slotting in next at 43.41.

However what’s most relevant is that this highlights a continuing progression from Taylor over the last few years. It wasn’t that long ago that Taylor was constantly chilling in the mid-30s with that average. Then the tons started to flow and the average began to rise. Then it rose some more. Taylor is now just two games shy of 200 ODIs, he’ll pass that mark in this current series. Check out the cumulative averages and 100/50 totals as his career has unfolded:

• 50 ODIs – 35.94 ave | 3 100s | 6 50s (Jan 2009)
• 75 ODIs – 35.81 ave | 3 100s | 13 50s (Feb 2010)
• 100 ODIs – 35.01 ave | 3 100s | 19 50s (Feb 2011)
• 125 ODIs – 38.31 ave | 7 100s | 24 50s (Jun 2013)
• 150 ODIs – 41.99 ave | 12 100s | 29 50s (Feb 2015)
• 175 ODIs – 43.15 ave | 15 100s | 32 50s (Oct 2016)
• 198 ODIs – 45.07 ave | 17 100s | 39 50s (Jan 2018)

It’s funny because Taylor’s been such a fixture in this team for so long that he gets taken for granted a little. Kane Williamson is the superstar captain, batting with that gorgeous technique. But Taylor just doesn’t let up. When you think that the Blackcaps have got arguably their three best batsmen ever in ODI cricket within their current top four (statistically the three best, at least), then you chuck in Colin Munro with a free licence… bloody hell. There are runs to be had there, alright.

You don’t drive an average up into the skies without outscoring it on a regular basis - adorned with some cheeky not outs as well, of course. Taylor has only passed fifty once in five innings so far in the kiwi summer but he has three 40+ not outs. He hasn’t scored a century in a one day international since South Africa were here eleven months ago but he hit a 95 in India last October. Right now it’s the consistency that’s doing the trick. Since he came back from that eye surgery in late-2016 he’s only twice been dismissed for less than 15 runs in 22 ODI innings. People best remember the times when you cash in and everyone knows about his century tallies… but you can score enough tons if you play enough games (allowing for a certain talent threshold, that is). What Taylor’s recent averages prove is that he also almost never fails these days. Nothing comes cheap against him.

Ross Taylor in ODIs in 2017 & 2018:

22 Gm | 1025 Runs | 60.29 ave | 2 100s | 7 50s

Across that same amount of time, only Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have scored more ODI runs. Kohli has played four extra games in (scored four extra centuries as well) while Sharma has a double hundred in that frame. There aren’t many who can top his average since then either and almost all of them have player fewer games (hence more easily skewed by a couple big knocks). A few names: Bairstow, Kohli, Sharma, Root, Mathews, Stokes, Iqbal, Dhoni, du Plessis, Nicholls… (nah, seriously, Hank Nicholls has scored 251 runs at 62.75 in his last eight ODIs).

Side fact: Ross Taylor has played 17 times at Eden Park in Auckland and averages 26.00 there, with one ton, one fiddy and one duck. He’s played 13 times at McLean Park in Napier and averages 88.75 with three tons, three fiddies and no duck. 710 runs in 13 games. He’s at 50.91 in 15 games at Seddon Park, Hamilton. 73.00 in 12 games at Westpac Stadium, Wellington. Also, curiously, he averaged 14.00 in six games at AMI Stadium in Christchurch but averages 112.50 in six games at Hagley Oval.

Obviously he didn’t do much in 2016. Only played 7 ODIs and had trouble with that eye thing. But it’s not like what he’s done since has been this crazy explosion either. In 2015 he scored 1046 runs at 58.11. In 2014 he scored 662 runs at 66.20.

Okay, so who has the best average in ODI cricket since the start of 2014 then? Drop out all the jokers who’ve played fewer than… say, 40 games… and this is what you get:

1. AB de Villiers – 3184 runs at 66.33
2. Virat Kohli – 3876 runs at 62.51
3. Rohit Sharma – 3250 runs at 60.18
4. Ross Taylor – 2933 runs at 57.50
5. Kumar Sangakkara – 2118 runs at 57.24
6. Faf du Plessis – 3157 runs at 55.38
7. David Warner – 3137 runs at 55.03
8. Joe Root – 3374 runs at 52.71
9. Shoaib Malik – 1476 runs at 52.71
10. Kane Williamson – 3575 runs at 52.57

And that’s with a stinker of a 2016 in there as well! Mate, and you already know that Rossco owns things in Test matches as well. Batted three times against the Windies, for 93, 16 and 107no. A couple 50s against Bangladesh last January before only getting one game against South Africa (15no) with a calf tear getting in the way of things. Tonned up against Pakistan before that. Put up some trash when the ‘Cappies went to India (89 runs in six innings) and South Africa (3 runs in three innings – with a 2no in there to save the average), but in Zimbabwe he scored 364 runs without being dismissed once.

He’s been up and down in the Test arena in a way that hasn’t been the case in shorter formats (finally got a recall to the T20 team last month, chur) but, yeah, over the last two calendar years (2016 and 2017) he’s scored his runs at an average of 67.60, with four tons. The only reason his numbers aren’t greater is, pretty much, because the Blackcaps don’t play enough Test cricket. Seems like you may have heard that complaint before somewhere…

But we damn sure play plenty of ODI cricket and Ross Taylor continues to dominate it, whether it’s noticed or not. Shout out to Ross the Boss.  

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