Starfighter
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
And Darren Berry off Paul Reiffel. And Jack Russell off Gladstone Small etc.Didn't Gilchrist enact a stumping off McGrath once?
And Darren Berry off Paul Reiffel. And Jack Russell off Gladstone Small etc.Didn't Gilchrist enact a stumping off McGrath once?
Confining the statement to infielding to avoid the argument you see sometimes from AustraliansPonting > Rhodes as an all round fielder btw.
Very good list indeed. Having been a keeper for many years, I can add a few minor ones. Soon as I get back.So the way I see it, is that there are essentially 6 dimensions to wicket-keeping:
Standing back to pace
Standing back to swing
Standing up to medium pace
Standing up to spin
Collecting throws from fielders
Fielding the ball
In each of these aspects, a keeper is assesed on:
Technique
Athleticism
Reflexes
Consistency/Reliability
Presence of mind/Situational awareness
I'm not a 'keeping expert, so I wouldn't know how to evaluate on these measures, but I figure any effort to seriously evaluate a keeper's quality would measure them on these skillsets (or something similar)
One being reading the type of delivery it is going to be as it leaves the bowler's end?Very good list indeed. Having been a keeper for many years, I can add a few minor ones. Soon as I get back.
The most important part of wicket keeping. The rest of it is based on pure technique, which easier to learn and to refine.One being reading the type of delivery it is going to be as it leaves the bowler's end?
I'd say Hadlee and Bedser were slow enough as well.While Bland was an excellent fielder a large part of his rep was based around the fact that he was the best at throwing down the stumps. It's not as important a skill as stopping and catching for an infielder. Without having seen Bland, I'm still reasonably comfortable putting Rhodes ahead as an infielder.
He stood up to McGrath a fair bit I think. McGrath is the only ATG slow enough for a wk to stand up to.
Bedster was probably slow enough to justify standing up because there is a reasonable expectation of bats using their feet to him. I tend not to think of him as an ATG quick though, firstly because he wasn't really a quick and secondly because he was a product of conditions.I'd say Hadlee and Bedser were slow enough as well.
Both of them were pretty damn quick early career but in the last couple of years or so slowed down a bit (I imagine being in your late 30s and having bowled quick for over a decade does that).Bedster was probably slow enough to justify standing up because there is a reasonable expectation of bats using their feet to him. I tend not to think of him as an ATG quick though, firstly because he wasn't really a quick and secondly because he was a product of conditions.
McGrath and Hadlee were both too quick to be standing up to. No matter how good the keeper is, you are sacrificing an amount of catching power because it's not physically possible to react fast enough. Maybe worth it for late career McGrath on occasion because some bats tried using their feet a lot. I'm not sure this happened with Hadlee. Felt like Hadlee was a bit quicker as well, but I'm not 100%.
Im not sure, but my feeling is early 140s for the 1st third of his career, late 130s for the second third and mid to early 130s for the end.Well Hadlee became fast-medium after an ankle injury. He shortened his run-up because of the injury in a county game and realised he could actually bowl longer and better that way so he stuck with it. McGrath was 140+ for the most part and became a trundler in the twilight of his career.
Keeping up to the stumps to guys like McGrath, Hadlee or Bedser has very little to do with their pace, it's almost entirely to do with their accuracy. Those three are three of the most accurate test quicks ever.Bedster was probably slow enough to justify standing up because there is a reasonable expectation of bats using their feet to him. I tend not to think of him as an ATG quick though, firstly because he wasn't really a quick and secondly because he was a product of conditions.
McGrath and Hadlee were both too quick to be standing up to. No matter how good the keeper is, you are sacrificing an amount of catching power because it's not physically possible to react fast enough. Maybe worth it for late career McGrath on occasion because some bats tried using their feet a lot. I'm not sure this happened with Hadlee. Felt like Hadlee was a bit quicker as well, but I'm not 100%.