Wicketkeeping

[Notts Exile]

I'm not going to apologise for bringing this one up again! I've been away for the weekend but have seen nearly everything except the last two sessions today. So I have a question:

How important is a wicketkeepers' ability behind the stumps? And I want a personal view!!

I don't believe Jones' batting ability outweighs the problem he gives us behind the stumps. We won this Test Match despite Jones' impression of Mark Boucher on a very bad day.

This is not a "Read must be re-instated" post.

[Rahul_Dravid_is_No.1]

India also faced the same problem with Parthiv patel, a great and gutsy batsmen who can score under huge amounts of pressue. great with the bat.... but he was a liability behind the stumps for sure.

The keepers job is very important. if a fairly simple catch it dropped it can sometimes cost you the game, if that batsmen goes on to make a big one. if byes and constantly going past they can add up aswell, very important in the ODI's!

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Got to be honest NE, I'd have been gutted if you didnt bring this up ! With the batting lineup iffy at best, Jones has to be in at the moment, despite the fact he isnt the best keeper, which Read is.

[Pete]

Trouble is his clangers are highlighted more because he came into a winning team. He didn't have the chance that people like Harmison and others had to bed into the team, so everything he does wrong is going to stand out more. We can't expect everyone to come in and do a Strauss.

[flanflinger]

Nope, for me it's still Jones. Although he has made two very big clangers here, I would much rather have him coming in then Read at 9 (I would put him behind Giles and Hoggard in the batting) that leaves us with a very long tail.

[Zainub]

Chris Read is a better bat than Hoggard for godness sakes.

Keeper's job is to keep, but scoring runs is important as well, especially now-a-days - I keep on changing my mind on this forever...

[flanflinger]

OK, that may be true, but he certainly would not go ahead of Giles.

[Zainub]

Yeah, not at least when King of Spain is in such good form

[John]

I think playing Jones against the Aussies would be a risk too far. Against the other sides England are good enough to overcome his keeping deficieny. The question is his batting good enough against the quality of the Aussies I think not. And therefore I proably wouldn't play him. In specialist terms you have proably got to have your best specialist.
Whoever you choose between Read and Jones if you lose it will be the wrong decision and if you win it will be the right decision.
I would go for Read against the Aussies. And the rest it doesn't matter.

[Pete]

Talking of catches, Vaughan still needs to sharpen up his skills in that area too.