Jack Taylor

Jack Taylor, the older brother of Matt, a seamer also at Gloucestershire, has had a promising career as an offspinner disrupted because of doubts about the validity of his action. Taylor was first reported for an illegal action at New Road in May 2013 and required to undertake remedial work which was only passed as legitimate in February 2014. The same fate befell him in 2016, when he missed two months of the summer, and when he was called again in 2017, a third ban - this time of 12 months - was to follow. With his 73 first-class wickets costing him 43.86, it felt as if his bowling career might not recover.

While his bowling, particularly in first-class cricket, has become something of a second string, he has found consolation in destructive hitting in the lower-middle order, making him a dangerous customer in any situation. In 2017, he averaged almost 40 in the Championship, as well as enjoying his best season as a 50-over batsman.

Taylor found his first team break in Twenty20 in 2011, taking a memorable 4 for 16 in victory over Somerset. He gradually took over as the club's first-choice spinner in first-class cricket, too, and in 2015 delivered a Man of the Match performance in the Royal London Cup final - after smashing 35 off 26 balls, his three wickets, Kumar Sangakkara included, helped Gloucestershire beat Surrey and claim the trophy.

He made his first two Championship centuries in 2015, against Derbyshire and Northants. But his danger with the bat was never more apparent than in a rain-affected Royal London tie against Derbyshire in Bristol when Gloucestershire chased a D/L recalculation of 68 in four overs, Taylor getting 41 from 14 balls - a tournament the county went on to win.

That mood continued in 2016. He struck a 71-ball Championship hundred in murky light against Worcestershire at Worcester. There was also a magnificently defiant assault in the quarter-final of the NatWest Blast against Durham at Bristol when he made 80 from 41 balls, in vain, from a near-hopeless position of 61 for 6.

Unable to bowl for Gloucestershire in 2018 - after three bans, the assumption was that he might never bowl again - he responded with spirit, encouraged by Gloucestershire's appointment of him as vice captain. He made a Championship century against Glamorgan and by averaging 30.88 in the Blast at an exceptional strike rate of 199.19.

ESPNcricinfo staff