Monday 2 May 2016 15:12, UK
"A model professional, the most hard working I've ever known in cricket." Those the words of Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell following James Taylor's retirement.
As such, it is perhaps little surprise that Taylor was able to fit so much into a career that ultimately spanned just eight years.
Indeed, in that time, Taylor did enough to ensure that his absence will be sorely felt, both by England and on the county circuit. Here we look at a few of the moments that helped to shape his career…
Watch Taylor's interview with Sky Sports' Ian Ward On Demand
Surrey v Leicestershire, County Championship - August 3, 2009
He made his debut the previous year but it wasn't until the summer of 2009, at the age of 19, that Taylor really announced himself. The then Leicestershire batsman scored an impressive 1207 first class runs across the season, hitting three centuries and six 50s at an average of 57.47.
However, it was one innings in particular that really caught the eye. Taylor's remarkable 207 not out against Surrey at the Oval was not only the highest score by a Leicestershire player for 11 years but also made him the county's youngest ever double centurion.
England v South Africa, Test series - summer 2012
Three years on and having made the move to Nottinghamshire, Taylor was called up to the England Test squad and made his debut in the second Test against South Africa at Headingley.
Despite scoring a useful 34 in a partnership of 147 with Kevin Pietersen, as the match finished in a draw, Taylor was dropped having struggled in the following Test at Lord's. He was subsequently criticised by Pietersen, who questioned whether he was "up for it" against a ferocious Proteas bowling attack.
Sri Lanka v England, 4th ODI - December 7, 2014
Two years in the international wilderness followed for Taylor, despite his continued success in county cricket. However, after averaging 88 in domestic one-day cricket in 2014, the England selectors could ignore him no longer and the diminutive batsman was selected for the ODI series in Sri Lanka that winter.
Having been left out for the first three games, Taylor came into the side for the fourth ODI, in Colombo, and soon went about making up for lost time. Batting at no 3, Taylor arrived at the crease in just the second over and had made an important knock of 90 by the time he departed in the 35th. England eventually lost the match but 'Titch' did enough to prove he had what it took to make it at international level.
Sussex v Nottinghamshire, County Championship - July 20, 2015
With a place in the ODI team secured, Taylor's next challenge was to show that he was ready to step up to international level in the longer form of the game. In the summer of 2015 he did just that, again scoring over 1000 first class runs, at an average of 51.33.
Once more though, it was a single innings that really hammered home what he was capable of. Indeed, heading into the match with Sussex, in 16 innings Taylor had a top score of just 61 for the season and an average of 29.
291 runs later and those figures looked significantly healthier. It was a stunning innings in which Sussex were never given a sniff of a chance and a record breaking one to boot - it was the highest score by a Notts player for 76 years, their highest ever individual score against Sussex, their fourth highest of all time and a new ground record.
England v Australia, 3rd ODI - September 8, 2015
Despite having established his place in the side, Taylor was still without an ODI century going into the series with Australia. With England 2-0 down going into the 3rd ODI at Old Trafford, he picked the perfect time to change that.
It was a stubborn, steady innings from Taylor and he managed just a single boundary on his way to 50 before pushing on as the innings progressed, reaching his ton in the penultimate over, and helping England reach 300. It proved more than enough as they bowled Australia out for 207 to keep the series alive.
South Africa v England, Test series - December-January 2015/16
After winning back a place in the Test side for the final Test against Pakistan in the autumn of 2015 - and scoring a Test best 76 - Taylor kept his place for the four-match series in South Africa.
A battling knock of 70 in the first Test helped provide the base for a comprehensive 271-run victory in Durban. He was unable to maintain that form with the bat for the rest of the series but he continued to contribute, taking two stunning catches at short leg in the third Test at the Wanderers as England claimed a series-clinching win.
