Matt Prior as a Gloveman

[Richard]

As a Notts member I've seen Read all summer and he's been immaculate behind the stumps and generally his batting appears to have come on too.

His batting has come on at least twice before, though. I'm beginning to be skeptical it'll ever be Test standard.

 

[Scaly piscine]

As a Notts member I've seen Read all summer and he's been immaculate behind the stumps and generally his batting appears to have come on too. For me he's the best 'keeper in the country and it'll be a scandal if he's not on the plane to NZ and Sri Lanka this winter.

Prior looked fine against a weak Windies side but his mediocrity has been exposed for all to see this last three weeks.The sooner Moores sends him back to Sussex the better.

Read got another go, looked a rabbit in headlights with the bat and didn't go for catches that went nowhere near a motionless first slip. That's just as bad as some of Prior's drops as far as I'm concerned (well worse because it costs 4 runs as well).

Read and Geraint's Test careers should be all but over. Prior should go back to county cricket and lets have a look at someone else.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

Matt Prior as a Gloveman

AWFUL!

but not as bad as Jones... Not yet.

Two Words though... James Foster

 

[archie mac]

I thought the same of myself a few years ago - you'd be surprised how many useless players are out there though.

You'd also be surprised how dramatically you improve through the ranks if you put any sort of effort in.

Yes mate but you are talking Aussie Useless= can bowl at 75 mph, and bowl a wrong-un at will

As compared to English useless= can only bowl under-arm, and can't spot a wrong-un

 

[iamdavid]

Stand by your man, really dont see a huge deal of difference between batting and keeping credentials of Read, Jones, Prior, Foster, Ambrose, Nixon or whoever else you want to throw into the mix. They all seem reasonably competent glovemen and batsman capable of the odd cameo but unlikely to average more than 30 in test cricket. I think Prior is as likely to succeed as any of them, batting is technically solid and has been more succesful in county cricket than most of them plus he's young. Has had a bad Oval test but I hope he is given an extended run.

 

[steds]

but not as bad as Jones... Not yet.

DWTA. Jones had improved immensely and was keeping well by the time he was finally dropped. Unless he's gone backwards this summer there's no comparison.

 

[Prince EWS]

DWTA. Jones had improved immensely and was keeping well by the time he was finally dropped. Unless he's gone backwards this summer there's no comparison.

Yeah, Jones was quite a decent keeper by the time he got dropped. Prior is probably a better keeper now than Jones was when he was first picked though, and a better batsman as well. If Jones can string a couple of good seasons together with the bat in county cricket, he'll be right back in the reckoning though, IMO - he has quite a lot of potential with the bat and his keeping has improved a lot.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Still don't see what Read did to get dropped after his last two Tests in Australia.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

DWTA. Jones had improved immensely and was keeping well by the time he was finally dropped. Unless he's gone backwards this summer there's no comparison.

Being one of those who was constantly calling for Read to be in the team, I only ever really saw the negative side of Jonesy. Looking back, he's been responsible for some of the greater catches Ive ever seen (Old Trafford 2005).

and as Vic says, what exactly has Read done that wont allow him his place in the test side?

 

[Richard]

Still don't see what Read did to get dropped after his last two Tests in Australia.

Wasn't purely because of that TBH, though he was hardly impressive was he?

 

[Richard]

Yeah, Jones was quite a decent keeper by the time he got dropped. Prior is probably a better keeper now than Jones was when he was first picked though, and a better batsman as well. If Jones can string a couple of good seasons together with the bat in county cricket, he'll be right back in the reckoning though, IMO - he has quite a lot of potential with the bat and his keeping has improved a lot.

Apart from the fact that I think that's extremely unlikely, I don't want to see it for 2 reasons:
1, he's always had (or at least appeared to have) potential with the willow, his defensive technique is actually pretty good and he has plenty of strokes, but this has been counteracted by his lack of a brain with willow in hand, something I can't really ever see changing TBH. It's been a problem for too long.
2, he'll be 32 by next summer, 33 by the one after, and IMO someone has to have a thoroughly compelling case to get a recall at that sort of age (inclusive of a notable career ITFP - eg Ganguly - which Jones hasn't had). If he had averaged 60 this season and averaged 50 next - without excessive strike-rates - then I'd certainly give it consideration but not if he was just averaging 40 in 2 seasons.

 

[archie mac]

Wasn't purely because of that TBH, though he was hardly impressive was he?

I thought he had a fine couple of Tests, took every catch that came his way, and tried hard with the bat

 

[Richard]

Most people try hard, though - you need to do more than that.

IMO Read simply doesn't possess the skills to score enough runs in Tests. Many people can do the wicketkeeping job (including Geraint Jones) obviously.

There are many people I'd rather see keeping wicket in Tests than Read. Currently, Prior remains one of them, though I'd probably not have said that at the start of the summer.

 

[The_Bunny]

@ people wanting Read and Jones back, funny how everything changes in 8 months.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I think the fact that we can toss so many names into the hat is really indicative of the fact that there is no outstanding candidate. Of the names tossed around Jones & Davies have had the least impressive seasons with the bat, Foster a fairly average one whilst Read, Ambrose, Pothas & Nixon have all averaged very close to or actually 50. If we were to ignore his previous efforts at test cricket Read actually has the most compelling case; given we can't & shouldn't, Ambrose possibly should be the next cab off the rank as he's the better part of a decade younger than Pothas or Nixon.

 

[Cricket_Fanatic]

I'm a Prior fan. He's aggressive with the bat and doesn't take no prisoners! I think his keeping will improve with the more time he spends at test level.

 

[vic_orthdox]

@ people wanting Read and Jones back, funny how everything changes in 8 months.

Meh, I've always thought he was the best candidate for Tests.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Meh, I've always thought he was the best candidate for Tests.

Which one?

 

[vic_orthdox]

Read. I think his case is even stronger now that there are six batsmen in the team.

 

[adharcric]

Good point. No reason England should sacrifice quality behind the stumps now that six specialist batsmen are playing. Flintoff can hold his own at 7 and they don't need too much at 8 from the keeper.