Taylor Test time gets a little closer

Thursday 3rd December 2009, 10:57AM GMT.

cricket-ball Shropshire cricketer James Taylor has further enhanced his reputation as an England star-in-waiting – by out-scoring current Test batsman Ian Bell in South Africa.

The former Shrewsbury School batting prodigy made a patient 65 for England’s Performance Squad in a four-day game against Gauteng.

That came in an England score of 483 in reply to the hosts’ 328 in Pretoria.

Leicestershire ace Taylor was England’s third top scorer, behind Michael Carberry (100) and Test opener Alastair Cook (70).

And he scored a dozen more than Warwickshire Bell who was able to add just two runs to his overnight score of 51.

Taylor is a category B member of the squad, comprising players who have First Class experience and perceived to be one to three years away from breaking into the England team.

The 19-year-old scored 1,000 County Championship runs last season and was also voted the Cricket Writers’ Club and Professional Cricketers’ Association Young Cricket of the Year.