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BJ Watling vs Matt Prior

Who is the better test batsman?


  • Total voters
    22

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
I always vote for the England players, as previously stated, but in this case I genuinely don’t think it’s close. Prior a class above.
 

Flem274*

123/5
I always vote Watling, and I was a defender of Prior during those ridiculous Brad Haddin comparisons, but I think the mixture of Watling being a very solid gloveman and the owner of several absolutely ridiculous knocks makes this close.

Also on a quick check Watling has 1 more ton from a few less tests. 1 run difference in average as keepers. Huh, interesting, I'd have thought Prior would have the considerably prettier raw numbers.

Happy with my choice, happy for someone to pick Prior. I think I slightly prefer the better glovework and the 'bat for my life' attributes.

Edit - lol, had a quick check of Haddin's numbers and it goes to show the absolute glugging that went on around here 10 years ago. My memory is he was a midfield keeper away from home and a bit vulnerable with the stick too, and he doesn't exactly have pretty numbers either. Good player for Australia though, in terms of providing a respectable service for the team. Had some Ashes heroics too.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I always vote Watling, and I was a defender of Prior during those ridiculous Brad Haddin comparisons, but I think the mixture of Watling being a very solid gloveman and the owner of several absolutely ridiculous knocks makes this close.

Also on a quick check Watling has 1 more ton from a few less tests. 1 run difference in average as keepers. Huh, interesting, I'd have thought Prior would have the considerably prettier raw numbers.

Happy with my choice, happy for someone to pick Prior. I think I slightly prefer the better glovework and the 'bat for my life' attributes.
OP suggests batting only which is why I voted Prior. Pretty comfortably Watling for me if we're including keeping.
 

BazBall21

International Captain
I always vote Watling, and I was a defender of Prior during those ridiculous Brad Haddin comparisons, but I think the mixture of Watling being a very solid gloveman and the owner of several absolutely ridiculous knocks makes this close.

Also on a quick check Watling has 1 more ton from a few less tests. 1 run difference in average as keepers. Huh, interesting, I'd have thought Prior would have the considerably prettier raw numbers.

Happy with my choice, happy for someone to pick Prior. I think I slightly prefer the better glovework and the 'bat for my life' attributes.

Edit - lol, had a quick check of Haddin's numbers and it goes to show the absolute glugging that went on around here 10 years ago. My memory is he was a midfield keeper away from home and a bit vulnerable with the stick too, and he doesn't exactly have pretty numbers either. Good player for Australia though, in terms of providing a respectable service for the team. Had some Ashes heroics too.
I think Prior was a pretty bog-standard keeper whereas Watling was world class with the gloves so I can echo Prince EWS in saying that I think Prior just takes it with the bat but Watling was probably the better test cricketer.
 

Flem274*

123/5
OP suggests batting only which is why I voted Prior. Pretty comfortably Watling for me if we're including keeping.
Oh yeah missed that. Interesting one. The advantage of Watling for NZ was he was a specialist batsman and played like a specialist batsman who could also genuinely keep. I think we were both on the 'Watling should bat #5 if he ever can't keep' train.

Prior was probably slightly better at the day to day of being a keeper bat though. Watling left runs out there imo. Acceleration didn't come as naturally to him, because he was a watchful opener at heart.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I think Prior was a pretty bog-standard keeper whereas Watling was world class with the gloves so I can echo Prince EWS in saying that I think Prior just takes it with the bat but Watling was probably the better test cricketer.
It's weird that this is true considering Prior was a proper domestic keeper and Watling was just shoehorned into it to fill a gap, but it definitely is.

I wasn't that surprised Watling could be an annoying ****er as a #7 batsman even though he'd kind of failed as a Test opener, but the standard of his keeping was a big surprise given he'd barely done it since Under 19 cricket.
 

Flem274*

123/5
Prior was perfect coming in after the big guns had scored but he had some decent pressure knocks too.
Underrated skill to downhill ski too. I love him and it hurts saying this but Watling's uncanny knack of getting out for 10 (25) after coming in at 350/4 probably slowed down a lot of NZ victories.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Watling had some bizarrely top class knocks but really had some issues with cashing in at easier times. I think he probably wins out here because of what he'd offer to batting partnerships, both in sticking around with a set batsman and shepherding the tail.

Nowhere near as fluent a boundary striker as Prior but when set had immaculate defense and could turn the strike
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
I always vote Watling, and I was a defender of Prior during those ridiculous Brad Haddin comparisons, but I think the mixture of Watling being a very solid gloveman and the owner of several absolutely ridiculous knocks makes this close.

Also on a quick check Watling has 1 more ton from a few less tests. 1 run difference in average as keepers. Huh, interesting, I'd have thought Prior would have the considerably prettier raw numbers.

Happy with my choice, happy for someone to pick Prior. I think I slightly prefer the better glovework and the 'bat for my life' attributes.

Edit - lol, had a quick check of Haddin's numbers and it goes to show the absolute glugging that went on around here 10 years ago. My memory is he was a midfield keeper away from home and a bit vulnerable with the stick too, and he doesn't exactly have pretty numbers either. Good player for Australia though, in terms of providing a respectable service for the team. Had some Ashes heroics too.
Just one whopper banging on about it wasn’t it?
 

BazBall21

International Captain
Prior had a very favourable age curve in test cricket and got to bat at the end of a very strong lineup throughout a batting era, but Watling averaged 24 against Australia India South Africa.

Don't rate either as high as the common consensus on here.
 
Last edited:

Flem274*

123/5
Prior had a very favourable age curve in test cricket and got to bat at the end of a very strong lineup throughout a batting era, but Watling averaged 24 against Australia India South Africa.
Very well curated well done, especially to throw India in there to depress his good performances against them.

Watling failed in Aus and was laughably a strong performer from that squad on that SA tour. His 40s were a normal 80 on that 45 all out tour.

Ultimately him failing in SA/Aus once every 5 years (so 4 tests in 25-30) was worth it for the games between.
 

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