Wood Backs Taylor To Show All-Round Talent 

Paceman Chris Wood has backed Brad Taylor to fill Mason Crane’s sizeable boots for Hampshire as the second half of this summer's Vitality Blast begins on Friday at the The Ageas Bowl.

Leg-spinner Crane has been ruled out for a couple of weeks with a side strain having started the Vitality Blast campaign with an impressive eight wickets in 18 overs.

All-rounder Taylor is the man to take his place in the side, and showed his talents with an impressive one for 22 in last Sunday’s narrow defeat to Kent Spitfires.

Academy graduate Taylor has been forced to be patient for first-team opportunities this season, and Wood has urged the off-spinner to take his chance.

“Mason is going to be a miss going forward over the next couple of weeks,” Wood said. “But that gives someone like Brad a chance to put his hand up and stake a claim as to why he should be playing.

“Brad has big shoes to fill but there is no reason why he can’t add value to the team; he bats, he bowls and is probably the best fielder in the squad.

“He has waited for his chance and now he has to prove he can do it.”

Wood can sympathise with Crane having missed almost the entirety of the 2016 season following a knee operation. 

But the left-arm fast bowler is feeling back to his best, having snared eight wickets so far in the Blast.

“My body feels as good as ever but it is only bowling four overs at a time,” Wood said.

“There is still a big question mark for the longer format of the game but when the T20 is over and The Hundred draft has been completed, and whether I feature in that or not, may have a big indication to where I go in the future in terms of my body and prolonging my career.

“I don’t want to make that decision too early and The Hundred draft is a massive one and I’d love to be in it.

Wood has watched the meteoric rise of similar style bowler Harry Gurney from afar – with the Nottinghamshire seamer becoming a worldwide star due to stints in the Big Bash and IPL.

And now he would like a piece of the action, saying: “I would like to ride the T20 rollercoaster around the world.

“I feel that when you get a shoo-in and you get out there and make a few performances it can all change quickly.

“We saw it with Harry Gurney last year when all of a sudden he was playing in five or six tournaments and doing really well.

“In the back of my mind I would love to do that, but you have to have a little bit of luck and someone has to fancy you and give you a go – and I need to carry on putting in performances for Hampshire.”

Hampshire face Somerset on Friday night at the The Ageas Bowl and Wood is aiming to hit the ground running once again, having taken a wicket in his first over in three of Hampshire six games.

He will face a tough task though against the Blast’s leading run-scorer Babar Azam and inventive youngster Tom Banton.

“Babar is a conventional but seriously good player and Banton is a bit more expressive and plays his shots, like the reverse sweep off the seamers which makes it an interesting battle,” Wood said.

“You have to be aiming to get those guys early as they can be very destructive, but I have got a wicket in my first over in half the matches so hopefully that can continue on Friday night.”

Tickets to Friday's Vitality Blast match-up against Somerset can be purchased online via the link below, via the Hampshire Cricket App, over the phone on 023 80472002 (option 1), or by visiting the The Ageas Bowl’s Ticketing & Membership Office via normal working hours.