Bruce Taylor was a fiery bowling all-rounder who played for New Zealand during the mid 1960s and early 1970s. Like the typical all-rounder, his game was all about flair - with the ball, he had the ability to swing the ball both ways as well as extract movement off the pitch and his batting was about sheer powerhitting. Having made the New Zealand squad for the first time during the 1965 tour of India, Taylor had the fairytale debut that any all-rounder would wish for - a frenetic century followed by a five-wicket haul at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He also picked up another fifer in the series, thereby cementing his spot for the immediate future at least. The balance that Taylor's inclusion brought to the table was impeccable and the Canterbury man was since then mostly a reliable contributor who could easily walk into most teams as an all-rounder batting at number eight.

Even while his career numbers are mighty impressive, it cannot be denied that Taylor could have pushed his batting numbers up a bit more. Yes, he was a bowling all-rounder primarily and by that yardstick, he was excellent but with a bit more composure, he could have easily generated better figures in the batting department. Taylor's attacking mindset with the bat was what probably deprived him of the big scores consistently although it also gave him an x-factor, intimidating the opposition bowlers with his presence. One of his rare flaws as a cricketer was his inability to succeed in England despite having conditions that favored his style of play. That was perhaps the only drawback in an otherwise laudable career. After
retirement, he spent a considerable amount of time as selector, both at domestic and national level.