RSL Colts' Ben Taylor will leave first grade cricket at the end of the season

Taylor will line up for RSL Colts in their RSL Whitney Cup semi-final against Macquarie at No.1 Oval on Saturday.

In that match, Taylor will be going up against one of his former sides and great mates in Jason Green, who is also finishing up in the top grade this season.

While he is still one of the best bowlers in the competition, Taylor realised earlier this season his time playing the game was up.

"My whole right side over the years has taken a pounding so it's just had enough," he said.

"When I bowled to CYMS about a month and a half ago, I just started to hit my straps and I pulled my hamstring chasing a ball, since then I haven't got anywhere back to near where I need to be."

Saturday's game will likely be the end of the first-grade careers of either Taylor or Green, with the former confident his side is capable of getting the win.

"Either way, I'm going out a winner no matter what. I've achieved a lot in first grade," he said.

"I've played with many blokes and won a fair few comps, I've got a lot of good memories, even if we lose I'm happy to lose to 'Greeny' because he's been doing it a bit longer than me.

"I'm happy either way, I mean we should be giving ourselves a good shot, we've got a good side and got a lot of depth there.

"So I'm hoping our depth gets us over the line against Macquarie and then maybe against CYMS."

Taylor has enjoyed his fair share of highlights across his career with stints at RSL Colts, Rugby and Macquarie during his time in the RSL Whitney Cup but the left-armer admitted there a few memories which stand out above the rest.

"Taking 9-fa in a game and nearly having a chance at 10-fa, that's very rare and it's probably one personal highlight," he said.

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"Then obviously there are a few comps that I've won which stand out, the first one was when I was playing for RSL Colts and we played Souths who had a red-hot side.

"We got rolled for 105 and they were 1/51 overnight and we rolled them for 73, that one sticks out in my mind."

While he has won 10 RSL Whitney Cup titles, Taylor said there is another premiership which gives him a lot of joy to look back on.

"Personally the other one that sticks out is the one with Macquarie and 'Greeny', we really deserved that because we trained so hard that year," he said.

"We put a lot of effort in that year and it was good to see 'Greeny' win a comp.

"He's been a stalwart of that club and he actually kept them together in the early 2000s when they were really short.

"He really kept that club going so it was good to see him getting a title.

"Those kinds of things stick out, I've played with a lot of good players and it's been a good ride but it's time to step aside."

Playing in big games is something Taylor has done quite successfully during his time in first grade and now he is imparting his wisdom on two of the competition's most exciting young players.

Over the last two seasons, Taylor has shared the field with Anthony Atlee and Riley Keen, who both have shown signs they could be scary prospects in years to come and the RSL Colts veteran has enjoyed watching them both grow.

"Riley (Keen) definitely because we bowl the same sort of stuff, I've been helping him a little bit," he said.

"He's got a really good level head on his shoulders, he doesn't get too far ahead of himself and he has a lot of coaches around him in the higher up stuff, I just try to give him a few pointers where I can as well as answer any questions.

"'Ant' (Anthony Atlee) has got a lot of raw ability but just hasn't got that elusive hundred yet so hopefully it is this week or next week I get to see one.

"He's definitely a player of the future, he trains hard as well and they are both very good cricketers in their own right."

Play for the three semi-finals begins at 1pm.

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