Who should be England's wicket-keeper?

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by first change

I've always supported Chris Read, but he has been just dreadful with the bat, and we need to move on.

Would it not be better to see if he settles in the job, his keeping has saved runs - and that is just as important as scoring them, he deserves at least a year to settle back into the England side, there is no better keeper in England so why get rid of him?.

So a keeper scores scores 30 or so, and and makes mistakes that are costly, I would rather have Read with his exemplary keeping.

Sort the batting out so Read does not HAVE to make big scores, Make Strauss captain of any other side bar England, we need a new opener.
Boycott and I think CMJ on the BBC were advocating the return of Ramp's even at 37, his nerves will have gone he has nothing to lose.

England could lose Colly or Bell to accommodate him, and put key in Strauss or Cooks place, this left handed opening combination does not work, the England team has not had a decent start this Ashes.

Back on topic - give Read the chance the G O Jones got, at least England will have a World class keeper.

[Speedboy Salesman]

Originally Posted by Ernest

.

Back on topic - give Read the chance the G O Jones got, at least England will have a World class keeper.

That's one heck of a statement to make Ern


Would it be better to give time to settle with Read, or try another wicketkeeper? hmmmm.... it's a pickle

[darksideofthemoon]

Well if Fletcher is not going to pick Read then first choice
1 Pothas
2 Foster
3 Davies

[Notts Exile]

Read's surely playing his last Test. I don't believe that he'll be given another Ttest to prove himself. Whoever comes in against the Windies and India will have a relatively simple and easy start. They will be compared directly to what Read and Jones managed against Oz in the World champs backyard and will come out on top. Read will finish his career having played in two Tests where the rest of his team mates had already given up and were mentally back in Old Blighty. He won't have walked to the crease once with England truly on top with the freedom to play his natural game or with the knowledge that his skipper or coach actually believed and wanted him to succeed.

In the last two Tests he's shown what a quality gloveman can bring to the side. We won't see that agin for a while.

As for his scuccessor: don't go for Pothas (South African / Greek but definitely in now way English) or Foster, or Prior. Go for the future and blood Davies. A series against India and the Windies at home is almost the best possible way to start.

[Milo]

And that's exactly what they did when they dropped him for St Johns (the featherbed - this is where Trescothick and Vaughan scored their first runs of the tour and Jones got a great 38). Sacrificed after playing three tests in the West Indies where only Thorpe scored ANY runs. Home series against New Zealand with no fit bowlers and the West Indian bowling tourists and the rest is history.

Read has been treated appallingly and if I was him I'd be calling a press conference, retiring and letting my mouth come out with a lot of stuff that people need to hear.

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by Milo

Read has been treated appallingly and if I was him I'd be calling a press conference, retiring and letting my mouth come out with a lot of stuff that people need to hear.

He has and he won't. He's not that sort of bloke. He'll get on with the business of trying to score some runs in the ODIs in order to play in the World Cup. Just maybe a few runs there will keep his place but I doubt it.

I'd do what you suggested but then I would have told Fletcher where to stick it about 30 minutes before play began at the MCG!

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Read at 8, freddie at 7, 6 proper batsmen. If we can find them.

[first change]

Originally Posted by Ernest

Sort the batting out so Read does not HAVE to make big scores, Make Strauss captain of any other side bar England, we need a new opener.

That's the point though, isn't it? Our tail at the moment means that, if we make a reasonable start (say 250-4) with this tail, 19 times out of twenty, we're bowled out for around 300 - a below par score. This match has been a case in point - why did Australia get a first innings lead? Because their batsmen played better? Absolutely not - the top six all got in without making hundreds. The reason was because the tail performed. I don't mind playing specialists - but we need a number seven that can bat - and we don't have one. If Flintoff drops down the order to seven, and Broad (or anyone) joins the party at eight, leaving Read at nine, that's fine.

Read's a great keeper, who was treated abysmally on this tour. But his batting has been a joke. Take the debacle against Dwayne Bravo in the CT, or the awful second innings (not out or not) at Melbourne. His scores were good against Pakistan, but he looked nervy and was lucky. He has been put under pressure, its true, but we can't hope he scores runs against the West Indies and forget about the Ashes and the World Cup. In my mind, he's got one chance to save his Test career. What better way of proving whether he is an international cricketer? Whatever their failings, all of the top six have batted well under pressure, so it's time for Read to stand up and be counted. I really hope he takes it, but the selectors need to be ruthless if he doesn't.

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by first change

but we can't hope he scores runs against the West Indies

Whoever keeps against the Windies will score runs. They are likely to go in with a decent platform as the batsmen will have scored runs against a very average attack. The keeper will have license to play as he wants. There's no real comparison. Read has been hung out to dry. If he wasn't set up then there was a fairly good attempt at it.

The real problem England have is that their top six as a unit have failed miserably. KP is the only one to come out of this with much credit. Even Collingwood has failed, he scored a 90 and a 200 and 140 runs in his other EIGHT innings, whooppee do! Bell, Strauss and Cook have failed. They haven't buckled down to do what they're supposed to do, stay in and score runs. Look at Cook and Bell in the second innings! Pathetic. Until England get six batsmen at 1-6 who can score runs and bat sensibly they will struggle against the Aussies.

[Speedboy Salesman]

I think if you get a couple of batsman in that can steady the ship if England do lose a wicket for instance it'll be better than replacing all 6 batsman. I think England's batsman look jittery at the crease because there is a low score on the board. But I think the opening partnership doesn't work and needs changing.