-
Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
Matt Prior
- Thread starter zaremba
- Start date
Would agree with this. I think Prior and the keeping situation has gone from one of the biggest problems that England faced to a relatively small one. I think we all know his keeping is never going to be excellent or please the purists but if he can hold the important catches and not give too much away that is ok. As a number 6 he has shown great promise, cannot see him getting many massive scores in tests but there should be plenty of half centuries against most attacks.
King Pietersen
International Captain
I actually made sure to praise his keeping today, as he never gets a mention when he's keeping well, but as you said, as soon as he makes a mistake people jump all-over him. He's clearly making steady improvement with the gloves, and I believe he could get into the side on his batting alone, so he's proving to be a key player atm, especially with Flintoff's inconsistent batting making it pretty much impossible to pick an out and out gloveman without severely damaging the batting line-up.
He's also the most stylish batsman in the team (in my eyes anyway), and is a joy to watch compared with the likes of Collingwood, Cook and Strauss. Hope he continues to improve his glovework and produce the goods with the bat, liking Prior alot in Test cricket.
He's also the most stylish batsman in the team (in my eyes anyway), and is a joy to watch compared with the likes of Collingwood, Cook and Strauss. Hope he continues to improve his glovework and produce the goods with the bat, liking Prior alot in Test cricket.
Woodster
International Captain
When you don't really notice Prior behind the stumps, he must be having a decent time of it. He will rarely take the headlines for such sharp glove work (a la Foster in the T20), but his value as a batsman, on the proviso his keeping does remain tidy, is a valuable commodity. Don't think his batting has ever really been questioned, and his innings on the first day was most enjoyable. Sweet timer of the ball and very strong on the drive. Will be interesting how he counters Siddle with his aggression and in-swing movement.
His keeping, as you say, has been pretty good today and he's clung onto his chances. Let two consecutive byes for four go through him off Collingwood, but there really was very little he could do about those. Good work Matty.
His keeping, as you say, has been pretty good today and he's clung onto his chances. Let two consecutive byes for four go through him off Collingwood, but there really was very little he could do about those. Good work Matty.
Lillian Thomson
Hall of Fame Member
It's true his keeping so far has for a change been bordering on adequate but after one and half days in the field on a slow pitch it's a bit early to judge him.
Top_Cat
Request Your Custom Title Now!
He's probably cost England a bit of charity with the umpires by appealing for ever ball touching pad within a metre of the sticks.
</desparate attempt to find something to criticise>
He's doing a decent job but, as much as they spat, those two balls North copped early in the day which went past the bat, can't help but feel most other Test 'keepers would have gotten glove on them.
</desparate attempt to find something to criticise>
He's doing a decent job but, as much as they spat, those two balls North copped early in the day which went past the bat, can't help but feel most other Test 'keepers would have gotten glove on them.
TT Boy
Hall of Fame Member
Agreed.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Yeah. Think the best we can say about Prior at this point in time is "so far so good, thank ****".
Seriously, hands-up: who's honestly not still got a horrid lurking feeling at the back of the mind that he's going to drop something crucial (maybe several crucial things) this series?
Seriously, hands-up: who's honestly not still got a horrid lurking feeling at the back of the mind that he's going to drop something crucial (maybe several crucial things) this series?
social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Prior is developing into a very good test cricketer - excellent bat and more than serviceable behind the stumps
ATM, he is arguably as good as anyone in his position in tests and if he was Eng's biggest problem, they'd be a great side
Fortunately for Oz, he's the least of Eng's worries
ATM, he is arguably as good as anyone in his position in tests and if he was Eng's biggest problem, they'd be a great side
Fortunately for Oz, he's the least of Eng's worries
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Give him a couple of tests before the life peerage is finalised.Prior is developing into a very good test cricketer - excellent bat and more than serviceable behind the stumps
ATM, he is arguably as good as anyone in his position in tests and if he was Eng's biggest problem, they'd be a great side
Fortunately for Oz, he's the least of Eng's worries
As I said earlier, he has a habit of starting series promisingly before reverting to bollock-fingered type. Think his issue is concentration over long periods myself.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
The doubts about his batting have been being slowly allayed for the last 18 months now. He's a fine player of spin (that much has been evident to a wide audience since the SL tour in 2007/08) and a fine player against a 65-over-old ball against seam (how he'd fare against a second new-ball or coming in at 90-4 off 27 is another matter and we'll only find-out when it happens).Prior is developing into a very good test cricketer - excellent bat and more than serviceable behind the stumps
ATM, he is arguably as good as anyone in his position in tests and if he was Eng's biggest problem, they'd be a great side
Fortunately for Oz, he's the least of Eng's worries
Almost all remaining doubts relate to his wicketkeeping and no, a short period of competence (which, let's remind ourselves, he's managed several times before) does certainly not do anything to allay those fears. The jury is 100% still out on his wicketkeeping.
Uppercut
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yeah, I realised that when Hughes nicked one in the first innings. When I hear a nick from an English bat i think "out", but when I hear a nick from an Aussie bat I instinctively think "will Prior drop it?"
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
At least, now that you're picking a keeper on the basis of his batting, you've got a keeper that's capable of batting six. If you are going to prioritise the batting ability, it has to be of some worth, not like Geraint.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
See the point you're making, but you're giving Haddin's keeping too much credit there IMHO. Not absolutely of the first water, to be polite. In fact I'd say his batting is closer to Gilchrist's than his keeping.
Uppercut
Request Your Custom Title Now!
It's just a feeling. Whatever their relative ability, I don't expect Haddin to drop catches, where I do expect Prior to drop them.
Haddin's perfectly decent with the gloves anyway. He's no Gilchrist (who I personally think was a fantastic keeper, and IMO he doesn't get enough credit because his batting was so good too) but you wouldn't call him a liability.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Decent enough standing back (although shelled two he might've taken in the Loins game), but doesn't inspire confidence standing up. Dunno how often he's kept to Hauritz, but was untidy generally.