New overseas batsman Ross Taylor has revealed that past and present Nottinghamshire players James Taylor and Alex Hales helped clinch his decision to join the Club this summer.

The 34-year-old New Zealander decided to play county cricket in 2018 as ‘one last push’ in red ball cricket and to help him prepare for next year’s 50-over ICC World Cup, which will be held at venues across England, including Trent Bridge.

He was already keen on the idea of joining the Green and Golds, where he will don the number 24 shirt, when chats with two Club stalwarts convinced him he was making the correct decision.

“I had a chat to Alex Hales the other day and then James Taylor who has been over here in New Zealand doing some commentary, who have told me all about it and the set-up at Notts,” he told trentbridge.co.uk

“They both had nothing but nice things to say about the coaching staff, Members, supporters and facilities. I wouldn’t say I had any second thoughts about coming at all, but it was nice for them to confirm what I was already thinking myself.

“I sat a seat away from ‘Tich’ on a flight from Wellington to Dunedin and he gave me the lowdown, so that was all great to hear.

“I’ve always wanted to play Division One cricket, so I’m delighted to get the opportunity to that.”

“I think I’m coming towards the end of my career in terms of coming over to play red ball and I’ve always wanted to play Division One cricket, so I’m delighted to get the opportunity to that.

“There is the World Cup coming up in the UK, so from a New Zealand point of view it’s going to be great to get in some batting time against the white ball on wickets in England.

“And I’ve also had a strong connection with Nottingham for a long time as I’ve been using Gunn and Moore bats since I was 13, so it will be nice to call in at the factory once or twice while I’m there.”

Taylor will follow in the footsteps of a host of highly influential Kiwis to have played at Trent Bridge, with Sir Richard Hadlee, Chris Cairns, Stephen Fleming and Andre Adams among them.

The right-hander hopes he can mark his own place in the Club’s history with a successful stay that encompasses the first eight four-day games of the season and the entirety of the Royal London One-Day Cup campaign, where the Outlaws will defend the title they won last summer.

Taylor said: “Paddles (Hadlee) has an amazing record at Notts and almost started off a lot of other Kiwis going over to England and having a lot of success.

“He’s got a big following at Trent Bridge and every time New Zealand have played there you see the honours board and it makes you realise just how much success he had at the ground.

“There’s also Fleming, Cairns and Adams, just to name a few, so it’s nice to be able to continue the legacy and hopefully I am able to contribute as well as they have down the years.”

Arriving in England on 9 April, Taylor will have just a few days to adjust before Notts’ first game back in County Championship Division One, at Emirates Old Trafford against Lancashire, on 13 April.

He is looking forward to the challenge of taking on some of the best bowlers in the country in the testing early season conditions, if not so much the English elements.

“I have to admit that the weather is probably the only part of it I’m not looking forward to!” said Taylor.

“I enjoy the concept of county cricket – playing cricket most days of the week where you drive and bus to away games and then play at home too.

“Hadlee’s got a big following at Trent Bridge and you see the honours board and it makes you realise just how much success he had.”

“Each ground has its different quirky things and the weather and conditions play their part, especially in the early-season, which I’m looking forward to testing myself in.”

Considering he has scored a glut runs in all parts of the world, Taylor’s return in matches at Trent Bridge is surprisingly modest compared to his 6,246 Test runs at an average of 48.04 and 7,267 ODI runs at 46.28.

He has scored just 181 runs in six innings at 30.17 for New Zealand and in county cricket for Durham and Sussex at the venue, and is keen to rectify that during his first-half-of the season stay in Nottingham.

Wellington-born Taylor said: “I think I played one Test there and it swung around corners on that particular occasion! But I’ve also heard that there can be some very good batting wickets there too.

“Hopefully I’m a better player was back then and I can change that. I feel I’m in good touch at the moment, but I would never say I’m playing as well as I ever have because this game has a habit of catching you out if you get too confident and a run of low scores can always be just around the corner.”

Taylor has yet to be allotted a place in the Notts batting line-up but insists he will ‘bat wherever the captain (Steven Mullaney) and coaches want me to.’

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