Ross Taylor: Nottinghamshire sign New Zealand batsman for first half of season

Ross Taylor made his highest one-day international score of 181 not out on Wednesday

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor has signed for Nottinghamshire for the first half of the 2018 season.

The 34-year-old is available for eight County Championship games and the entire One-Day Cup campaign before leaving at the end of June.

Taylor scored a match-winning 181 not out on Wednesday in New Zealand's five-wicket ODI win over England.

"I'm looking forward to testing myself in the early-season English conditions," Taylor said.

The right-hander, who has previously played for Durham and Sussex, captaining the latter in last summer's T20 Blast, averages 48.04 with the bat in Test cricket and more than 46 in ODIs.

The former New Zealand captain batted with a thigh injury during his magnificent innings in Dunedin, but is expected to be fit for the start of Nottinghamshire's County Championship season on 13 April.

Taylor can also play in the knockout stages of the One-Day Cup, including the final on 30 June, should the reigning champions make it that far.

Nottinghamshire's director of cricket Mick Newell said: "Ross is a world-class performer who brings with him an excellent record at the highest level in both red and white-ball cricket, as well as plenty of experience.

"He is just what we were looking for to strengthen the top order of our four-day batting line-up, where we have lost Michael Lumb and Brendan Taylor from last year, and his aggressive style suits the type of 50-over cricket we look to play."