At Headingley this summer, Read came in with the score on 192/4 and helped England to a far more useful 345 /5. He then returned in the second innings and in a 2-hour + knock he kept his head as the side imploded around him (he was last man out), almost single-handedly lifting England from 237/4 to their final total of 345. Over the two innings he notched up 93 runs.

In his earlier run in the side he battled successfully (ending unbeaten) to save the second Test in Sri Lanka (with only Vaughan and Thorpe doing more in that innings)... and then ran out of partners in the final Test as England imploded around him in Columbo: in both cases, one M. Muralitharan was wreaking havoc with his doosra... so neither achievement should be dismissed.

I'm not suggesting he's a great no 7 bat... but to suggest he's hopeless (just one Test after he ran out of partners against McGrath, Warne, Clark and Lee) is just plain wrong.

ps. I wonder how much pressure was added by having Flintoff the other end in the first innings of this Sydney Test? This is the captain who sat down with Fletcher and replaced him due to lack of confidence in his batting. Had it been Collingwood the other end... who knows: Read might have had far fewer nerves, showed greater composure and guaranteed his place for the forseable future!!!!