Editing Mark Taylor (cricketer) (section)

==Early years==
The second of three children born to bank manager Tony Taylor, and his wife Judy, Mark Taylor's early years were spent at [[Wagga Wagga, New South Wales|Wagga Wagga]], where his family relocated when he was eight. His father had a sporting background, playing first grade rugby in [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]]. The young Taylor also enjoyed Rugby, alongside his main preference, cricket. He learned to bat in the family garage, with his father throwing cork balls to him. Taylor idolised [[Arthur Morris]], the left-handed opening batsman from [[New South Wales]] who led the aggregates on the 1948 "Invincibles" tour of England.<ref name="wisden"/>

Taylor played for his primary school as an opening batsman, and made his first century at the age of thirteen for the Lake Albert club at Bolton Park in Wagga.<ref name="wisden"/> His family then moved to the north shore of Sydney, where he joined Northern District in [[Sydney Grade Cricket]]. Completing his secondary education at [[Chatswood High School]],<ref name="p332">Perry, p. 332.</ref> he later obtained a degree in surveying at the [[University of New South Wales]] in 1987.<ref name="az"/><ref>{{cite press release
 |title=Mark Taylor scores honorary doctoral degree 
 |publisher=University of New South Wales 
 |date=24 June 1999 
 |url=http://unsw.edu/news/pad/media/1999/jun/86marktaylor.html 
 |access-date=16 June 2007 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070915172509/http://www.unsw.edu/news/pad/media/1999/jun/86marktaylor.html 
 |archive-date=15 September 2007 
}}</ref> Along with the Waugh twins, [[Steve Waugh|Steve]] and [[Mark Waugh|Mark]], Taylor played in under-19 youth internationals for [[Australian cricket team|Australia]] against [[Sri Lankan cricket team|Sri Lanka]] in 1982–83.<ref name="wisden"/>

Taylor made his [[Sheffield Shield]] debut in 1985–86 when NSW was depleted by the defection of regular openers [[Steve Smith (cricketer born 1961)|Steve Smith]] and [[John Dyson (cricketer, born 1954)|John Dyson]] to a rebel tour of South Africa.<ref name="p332"/> Opening with fellow debutant Mark Waugh, he scored 12 and 56 not out against [[Tasmanian Tigers|Tasmania]].<ref name="p332"/> His first season was highlighted by home and away centuries against [[Southern Redbacks|South Australia]] in a total of 937 runs at 49.31 average. He had a lean season in 1987–88, after which he spent the English summer with [[Greenmount, Greater Manchester|Greenmount]],<ref name="p333">Perry, p. 333.</ref> helping them to win their first [[Bolton Cricket League|Bolton League]] title by scoring more than 1,300 runs at an average of 70.<ref name="wisden">{{cite web
  | title =Mark Taylor
  | publisher =Cricinfo
  | url =http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/154436.html
  | access-date = 16 June 2007 }}</ref><ref name="az">{{Cite book| author = Cashman| author2 = Franks| author3 = Maxwell| author4 = Sainsbury| author5 = Stoddart| author6 = Weaver| author7 = Webster | year = 1997 | title = The A-Z of Australian cricketers|pages =291–292}}</ref>