MasterBlaster24
U19 Debutant
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Ian Healy vs BJ Watling
- Thread starter MasterBlaster24
- Start date
SillyCowCorner1
Moooo
Healy
kyear2
Hall of Fame Member
Best I've ever seen, and it's not close.
MasterBlaster24
U19 Debutant
I agree Healy was the better keeper out of the two, but Watling was also excellent behind the stumps, and his batting was clearly superior to Healy’s. Not sure why you think this isn’t close.
sayon basak
Cricketer Of The Year
Because he thinks keeping is their primary job and tbh, they aren't really close with the gloves.
MasterBlaster24
U19 Debutant
But shouldn’t batting also be considered when comparing them as overall cricketers? After all, it’s Test cricket, and both roles matter.
sayon basak
Cricketer Of The Year
Wicket keeping probably matters more.
DrWolverine
International Vice-Captain
Ian Healy
sayon basak
Cricketer Of The Year
morgieb
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Tough to call.
On paper you'd say Watling. Better batter and a good enough keeper to hold his own against the best.
That said, there are two things that hold me back regarding him:
1. His poor record against Australia and India which suggests question marks about his batting against the best
2. New Zealand not having any great spinners in his time, and the standards of what made a great keeper being different (and lower) in the 2010's compared to the 90's.
He also had a shorter career, and Healy's batting was a lot better in the second half of his career than his first.
Still I think you can make a pretty good case for both.
On paper you'd say Watling. Better batter and a good enough keeper to hold his own against the best.
That said, there are two things that hold me back regarding him:
1. His poor record against Australia and India which suggests question marks about his batting against the best
2. New Zealand not having any great spinners in his time, and the standards of what made a great keeper being different (and lower) in the 2010's compared to the 90's.
He also had a shorter career, and Healy's batting was a lot better in the second half of his career than his first.
Still I think you can make a pretty good case for both.
Coronis
Hall of Fame Member
morgieb
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Healy was never dropped though (well unless you count his forced retirement as a dropping), Watling didn't really establish himself until like 2012-13 I thought?
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Yeah, those tests in 2009 were as a specialist bat (opener). He got 60* in the 3rd test as NZ chased a series win against Pakistan (it finished 1-1) before the rain came. BMac was still the test keeper then before his back played up and he gave it up.
Other test keepers who got a chance before John Wright as coach tried Watling, were Gareth Hopkins, Reece Young, and Kruger van Wyk. Derek de Boorder was another in that era who was desperately unlucky not to get a chance.
Watling's 1st 6 tests were as a specialist bat, and he'd only kept in 2 1st class matches (and quite a bit of white ball) before 1st keeping in tests, but took to it like a duck to water.
He first kept for NZ in tests in about 2012.
Coronis
Hall of Fame Member
CodeOfWisden
U19 Vice-Captain
Amazing to see that Watling is preferred, its the correct choice for sure, Ian Healy is the worst cricketer to play 100 tests.
Thala_0710
International Vice-Captain
Kragg Braithwaite says hi
sayon basak
Cricketer Of The Year
Why do you even bother man? He'll now probably say that Brathwaite averaged higher as an opener and being a specialist fielder is useless.
HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The main elements about BJ Watling that I think mark him out above others are:
(i) He made some tough runs. He seemed to perform best when the team were up against it and made some really invaluable runs.
(ii) He gave a man of the match interview once where he could barely string a sentence together and sounded more like one of Beavis and Butthead. Sadly can't find the footage
(iii) He's described in the caption to this official BlackCaps You Tubes video as the "wicket-leper"
Ian Healy's biggest contribution on the other hand is crashing a Segway whilst linking items on an Australian telecast. Which will never not be funny.
(i) He made some tough runs. He seemed to perform best when the team were up against it and made some really invaluable runs.
(ii) He gave a man of the match interview once where he could barely string a sentence together and sounded more like one of Beavis and Butthead. Sadly can't find the footage
(iii) He's described in the caption to this official BlackCaps You Tubes video as the "wicket-leper"
Ian Healy's biggest contribution on the other hand is crashing a Segway whilst linking items on an Australian telecast. Which will never not be funny.
OverratedSanity
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Not even close
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
As well as being as an elite keeper, Watling produced a lot of memorable innings. There was courage against elite Steyn and Philander in SA, matchwinning 100s in England and SL, and giant partnerships of 365 (with Williamson), 352 (McCullum), and 261 (Santner).