Ross Taylor’s revelations that he faced casual racism throughout his dignified career might be met with surprise by those who view NZ’s recent history as the benchmark for the modern spirit of cricket. 

But what Taylor alludes to all is something that almost every non-white cricketer in the West has faced at any level and any age, be it within the formal club cricket structure or the more informal T20, Last Man Stands leagues that are now proliferating throughout places like Brisbane.