Dominant Taylor blasts reminder to selectors with help from Plunkett

The 24-year-old featured twice in the home Test series against South Africa in the summer of 2012 but missed out on a place on the ill-fated Ashes tour of Australia, where England were whitewashed.

As a consequence of that disastrous tour England are looking for new blood, and Taylor’s 242 not out in a four-day match against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla will certainly not harm his case for inclusion when the senior Sri Lankan side play two Tests in England later this year.

The Nottinghamshire batsman struck 30 fours and two sixes, and was ably assisted by 142 from Middlesex opener Sam Robson. The Australia-born batsman pledged his future to England late last year and could be another who forces his way into the senior side this summer.

The Lions reached 605-7 declared, with Yorkshire bowler Liam Plunkett adding an impressive 74 down the order.

The hosts were 72-0 in their second innings, trailing by 244 runs heading into the final day.

Twin centuries from AB de Villiers and JP Duminy put South Africa in the driving seat on day two of the second Test against Australia at Port Elizabeth.

Resuming on 214-5 and with an expected new ball barrage to survive in the morning, the Proteas needed substantial knocks from their two overnight batsman and duly got them.

De Villiers, having already become the first batsman in Test history to score at least a half-century in 12 successive matches, compiled a classy 116, while Duminy outscored him with a battling 123 from No 7.

That saw South Africa to 423 all out, Australia’s in-form attack for once blunted, and the Baggy Greens reached 112-4 on the back of David Warner’s 65 not out.

Australia’s innings started badly, when Chris Rogers was pinned leg before in the fourth over, with Alex Doolan (8), Shaun Marsh (0) and Michael Clarke (19) all departing cheaply.