Former New Zealand cricket skipper Ross Taylor has been dismissed cheaply in his first innings since the captaincy saga which saw him usurped by Brendon McCullum.

Taylor, playing for Central Districts on day one of their Plunket Shield match against Canterbury in Napier, was caught behind for four.

He pushed forward at a delivery angled across him by lively Canterbury left-armer Ryan McCone and touched an edge to wicketkeeper Tom Latham.

Taylor faced 26 deliveries in a circumspect return to the crease on his home ground at McLean Park.

It was Taylor's first innings since November 29 when he was named man of the match for his knocks of 142 and 74 in the second test victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo.

He later revealed coach Mike Hesson told him he would be replaced as skipper just three days before the first test of that series.

Taylor sat out the New Zealand tour of South Africa, having turned down an offer to retain captaincy of the test side.

He was this week named in the New Zealand XI to face England in two Twenty20 matches in Whangarei on February 4 and 6, with a view to making his international comeback in the first T20 international in Auckland on February 9.

His dismissal reduced Central to 79-3, having won the toss and chose to bat first, with opener Jeet Raval unbeaten on 33.

- © Fairfax NZ News