Latham reveals umpires' role in Taylor's fairy tale wicket

Black Caps great Ross Taylor says he has fading light and the Canterbury crowd to thank for the fairy tale end to his Test career on Tuesday.

Taylor was denied a second innings in his 112th and final Test after captain Tom Latham opted to enforce the follow-on against Bangladesh, in another example of the Black Caps’ culture that puts team success over personal milestones.

As it turned out, the retiring great still got to finish his final Test in style by claiming the last wicket of the match.

It was just his third wicket in his Test career.

Taylor played down the moment but admitted it was a special way to sign off from Test cricket.

"I don't really believe in fairy tales, but thanks to the Canterbury crowd and bad light that made me have to bowl," he reflected. "I don't know if Tom wanted to bowl me, I just took my hat off.

"Tim Southee was actually going to bowl spin at the other end, so that would have been an interesting moment, if I didn't get the wicket."

Latham says the decision to bowl Taylor came after the umpires intervened.

"I was feeling the pressure from the crowd, but also the boys, to give Ross a bowl, but the umpires played a part as well," Latham said.

"It was actually very dark out there, so they said we can't bowl seamers and that left one decision to bowl Ross.

"The way it worked out couldn't have been scripted any better."

It took Taylor just three balls to get the wicket with Ebadot Hossain top-edging a slow sweep to midwicket where Latham took the catch.

Despite pulling off some spectacular grabs in the slips throughout the Test, Latham said that final catch was easily the most special.

"Everyone wanted me to take that catch, and to grab it, to sign off the Test like that and for Ross to have another test wicket under his belt was pretty special," Latham said.

"It's a massive Test for Ross and his final one, and the servant he's been for New Zealand cricket over 17 years has been absolutely amazing."