Ross Taylor likely to be fit for two Tests against West Indies

Wellington: New Zealand some good news to report out of the Caribbean, as injured captain Ross Taylor is recovering fast and is likely to be fit for the two Tests against the West Indies.

Taylor injured his AC joint in his left shoulder when fielding in the first Twenty20 international in Florida on July 1, with the initial prognosis being two to six weeks on the sidelines. But it looks as though it might be the lower end of that scale, with Taylor having successfully resumed net practice, against both spinners and quick bowlers. The first Test in Antigua starts on July 26 and it looks as though that will be his target. “I had my first net against the quicks today - I had the spinners yesterday - and it was nice to get out there,” Taylor said as his teammates prepare to face the Windies in the third one-day international. “It was a little bit better today, though there`s still a bit of pain there. If I can keep improving like I have every day, then there`s every chance I could hopefully play earlier than I first thought,” he said. Taylor said he had been impressed with the way Kane Williamson, New Zealand`s youngest ever ODI captain, had taken charge of the team in his absence. The 21-year-old has not been afraid to seek out advice from Taylor, the pair having chatted quite a bit during the past 10 days. ANI