Ken Taylor (cricketer)

Ken Taylor (born Kenneth Taylor, 21 August 1935, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England) is an English former cricketer, who played in three Tests for England from 1959 to 1964. He also played first-class cricket for Yorkshire. He was renowned as a good player of spin and was one of the best cover fielders of his generation, while his medium pace 'darts' broke many a stubborn partnership for his county captains, Ray Illingworth and Brian Close.

The cricket correspondent, Colin Bateman, commented that Taylor was, "a fine, straight-hitting batsman and brilliant fielder.... yet he never made full use of his bounteous abilities and was affected by nerves when the stakes were high". Bateman added, "'A total enigma' was how one former team-mate described him".

He was also a professional footballer in the winter, and later a professional artist.

Life and career

Taylor's father repaired looms in the local weaving industry. His maternal grandfather was a ventriloquist, and ran a Punch and Judy show on the beach at Blackpool. His elder brother, Jeff Taylor, played professional football for Huddersfield Town, Fulham and Brentford; he also studied geography at the University of London, and then went to the Royal Academy of Music and became an opera singer.

Ken Taylor attended Stile Common School in Huddersfield. He joined the...
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