In the folklore of the American Old West, Tombstone’s Boothill Graveyard serves as a final resting place for outlaws and cowboys who died with their boots on during brief but fatal shootouts. In the world of cricket, the term Boothill has been adopted to describe the most hazardous fielding position on the pitch. Positioned directly under the batter’s nose, this spot is in the direct line of fire for powerful sweep and pull shots, a place where many would prefer not to stand. Where tumbleweeds tumble in search of a home. There’s a town they call Tombstone where the brave never cry …. Taylor is trying his best not to wake up his three-month-old son but finding it increasingly difficult to contain his enthusiastic reminisces of fielding at short leg. “There’s plenty of people that – excuse my language – shit themselves when they go in there. Taylor’s young son isn’t a great sleeper at the best of times according to his dad but is currently conked out in a papoose strapped to his old man’s chest. A crueller fate lay in store for Taylor.
Former England batter James Taylor, however, embraced the challenge. He found a unique thrill in the proximity to the action, noting that he always loved being in the thick of things. For Taylor, the appeal was simple: he wanted the ball to be hit at him, feeling fortunate that he lacked the fear often associated with the role. He described the experience of being in such a high-pressure position as feeling truly alive.
A decade ago, this fearlessness manifested during a Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg, where Taylor pulled off two extraordinary, reaction-based catches in less than 30 minutes. According to “It’s very rare in any sport, that you practise something really hard the day before and then it pays off straight away,”, Taylor.
The drama of his first grab, which dismissed a perplexed Hashim Amla following a flick off Stuart Broad’s bowling, unfolded in just 0.4 seconds. Sometimes a sunset just comes in a different shape.
Taylor, who had practiced extensively with assistant coach Paul Farbrace using a sparring pad to deflect high-paced balls, caught the effort millimeters above the turf.
Shortly thereafter, Taylor claimed the dismissal of Dane Vilas. Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, watching from the commentary box, labeled the two efforts as some of the most sensational catches he had ever witnessed. Vilas, reflecting on the moment years later, noted that he had played that specific shot off his hips a thousand times, yet could hardly believe it was caught on that occasion. Tactfully, the Spin doesn’t mention this to Vilas as he goodnaturedly relives the dismissal: “Let’s say I played that clip off my hips 1,000 times in my career, 999 times it’s going for runs.
Standing at 5ft 6in, Taylor was often viewed as the natural fit for the position, though he insisted that his presence there was driven by genuine enjoyment rather than just being the youngest or smallest player on the team. Fielding in such tight quarters creates a strange, intense intimacy between the player and the batter. Fielder and opponent become acutely aware of each other’s breathing, eye contact, and even the whispered mantras exchanged as the bowler approaches.
Taylor recalls the atmosphere as incredibly spicy, with front-row tickets to observe a batter’s fear or struggle while hearing the bowler’s aggression during the follow-through. Players like Ricky Ponting and Tony Greig were also known for using their presence at silly point or short leg to unnerve their opponents, often using their physical stature to intimidate batters as they looked them in the eye. Surely, no one in their right mind wants to wind up at short leg. Should the BabyBjörn straps momentarily falter then the little one is in good hands. Tony Greig used his 6ft 8in frame to try to intimidate and change the way a batter would play. Squinting, spitting in his palms and mercilessly chewing his gum only a pace or two away from some poor quaking batter, most often at silly point, the off-side opposite to short leg, think of Ricky Ponting channelling Sheriff JW Pepper. Folding himself down to stare the batter right in the eyes, often with his size 12s encroaching on the popping crease.
The significance of these catches has grown over time, particularly as they occurred during one of the final stages of Taylor’s international career. For Vilas, the match marked his last outing as a Test cricketer, though he went on to build a successful career as captain at Lancashire. For Taylor, a much more abrupt end awaited; just a few months following the South African tour, at age 26, he was forced into retirement after being diagnosed with an incurable heart condition. Just south of Tucson, out in Arizona. “The Vilas catch that happened a few overs later looks better as I’m diving but actually the Amla one is the better catch because it came faster and lower.”.
Though his professional playing career was cut short, Taylor’s passion for cricket remains, having since served in roles for the ECB and as a batting coach at Leicestershire. He admits that discussing those catches from Johannesburg still brings back a deep sense of elation. Even now, holding his young son, those moments remain a special, rare memory from his time in the game.
