He began cricketing early, keeping wicket in a car park next to Stoke City Football Club's home ground, before playing for his schools Under-15 XI aged 12.

[9] Taylor's strong keeping continued to secure his place in the side, though despite a career best 719 runs in the 1966 season his batting struggled, with no half-centuries to add to his tally.

[11][12] Over the winter of 1971/72, he was selected for the World Test XI tour of Australia, playing seven four-day matches under captain Rohan Kanhai.

[17][18] He returned to England for the summer of 1972, scoring another half century and snaring fifty batsmen from behind the stumps in the County Championship,[11] and a further 23 in the one day arena.

[11][12] On facing a South African Invitation XI in Johannesburg on 2 April Taylor, batting in the second innings, scored a career best 97 before being dismissed by Howard Bergins.

[22] Captained by fellow Wisden Cricketer of the Year Brearley, he took two catches and a stumping, and score a lengthy 32 from 158 deliveries supporting Geoff Miller who was eventually stranded on 98.

[30] He only had two more County Championship appearances before the home Test series against New Zealand on 27 July, where despite 12 catches and a stumping he again averaged low with the bat – 31 runs at 10.33.

Taylor joined the England team for the winter Ashes series of 1978/79, commencing the tour by facing South Australia on 3 November 1978.

[32] Facing New South Wales on 17 November, Taylor hit a forgettable nine, however four more scalps came, two of them from what was becoming a prolific partnership, both for England and Derbyshire, with Geoff Miller.

[42] Taylor returned to England to make several Benson and Hedges Cup and John Player League List-A appearances, and resumed his capable keeping for Derbyshire in the County Championship – in a match against Leicestershire on 2 May he took four catches and performed two stumpings.

[43] In June, the 1979 Cricket World Cup commenced in England, and Taylor was selected as keeper for the tournament which consisted of 60 overs per innings.

England were seen as good prospects for the tournament, having won five of their previous six Tests thanks, according to Wisden, to "the bowlers, Bob Taylor's skilful wicket-keeping, and the all-round excellence of Ian Botham.

The host team – minus an injured Willis – put the West Indies into bat, however a century from Viv Richards took them to 286/9 – with Taylor taking one catch.

Taylor, batting at ten, was dismissed for a first-ball duck from Joel Garner before Hendrick was bowled by Colin Croft to seal the West Indies' victory.

[51] On 12 July, Taylor was back with the England team for three Tests against India, where he proved himself more formidable with the bat – with a knock of 64 inflating his average to 32.50.

Taylor acquitted himself well over the winter tour of Australia and India, scoring 145 runs from four matches at 20.71, and his polished glovework took 20 catches and performed one stumping.

This included Taylor begin dismissed leg before wicket only to protest the decision and have his reservations supported by the Indian captain Gundappa Viswanath.

[56] Taylor returned for the 1980 County Championship in England, and although he scored only 238 runs at 14.87 from 20 appearances he took 34 catches and performed seven stumpings,[57] Derbyshire camp joint ninth that season.

[60] Taylor again missed out on a place in the ODI team for the Prudential Trophy against Australia, with Geoff Humpage making the only three international appearances of his career.

Taylor, his 1981 Ashes series truncated, finished with only 23 runs at a dire 3.83 average – the lowest of the entire England team including specialist bowlers.

After a brief return to Derbyshire for the County Championship in May,[27] he was again in the Test squad for the home series against India, taking nine catches but again a low 12.00 runs per innings from the three matches.

Commencing in mid-July, he also took part in a four-Test home series against New Zealand, taking 11 catches but failing to make an impression with the bat – 63 runs at 10.50.

[76] Taylor fared well with the gloves in the one day tournaments also, taking 10 catches in the Benson and Hedges Cup,[77] and eight more in the John Player Special League.

No play took place on the following day, 9 September, to allow the John Player Special League match between the two counties, where Taylor look two catches but was not called on to bat.

[79] Following this game, on 10 September, the County Championship resumed with Hampshire on 535/4, Taylor having taken one catch to remove Trevor Jesty from the bowling of Ole Mortensen.

[82] During New Zealand's 1986 Test match at Lord's, Taylor was present in the hospitality tent when Bruce French was injured by a Richard Hadlee delivery.

After trialling Bill Athey behind the wicket, New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney permitted Taylor to come on the field to keep for the remainder of the day.

[5] Taylor wore two pairs of thin Chamois inners and Mitre wicket-keeping gloves from which he cut away all the padding from inside the palms and removed the webbing.

[87] Taylor was a popular member of the England and Derbyshire squads, his nickname "Chat" deriving from his willingness to talk to his teammates and listen to their problems.

[7] Himself a mediocre batsmen but skilled keeper, Taylor has continued to advocate the picking of capable wicket-keepers over those with lesser ability behind the stumps but greater talent with the bat.