I agree, and though he has been the leading keeper in terms of dismissals his batting is nothing more than slogging, with random controlled innings. If he gets it sorted next year he could be in with a chance of next year's team, but I'm behind Foster, Sutton or Davies this year.

I am for Foster - but Prior must be given a hearing - given his England experiance.

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Ern

England experience including a host of failures in one day internationals and no test appearances. Foster on the other hand has both test and ODI caps.

I'm dead set against Prior. Flat track bully and a poor man behind the sticks.

I'd forgotten Sutton though. I would consider Sutton if anyone can give a pervasive argument as to why he's more deserving than Foster or Davies.

I may well in due course, but not at this time of night (or morning as it is).

Well that's a problem Andy - some cricketers die on the sword of one day cricket.

I can only see 2 contenders - and they are Prior (who will show better form (with the bat anyway), or my pick Foster.

We get the same old problem if we pick the better keeper, then we need a spinner who can bat.

Dalrymple - Dawson - Batty are not real class, not off topic on this thread because I suppose like Fletcher we need either a keeper or a spinner who can bat.


Foster so long as we find a spinner on the other thread who can turn the ball away from the bat, and also can score a few.
Foster is the only real option if we want a decent (experienced class keeper).

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Ern

You see, I disagree with the batting question. Prior is a flat track bully - not a great technique, but very good hand/eye and he hits the ball hard. Foster has a very good, solid, batting technique. Foster and Prior are the only candidates who've both scored first class double hundreds. Foster showed in his short test career that he could bat well in very tough circumstances (he'd only played a couple of first class games before touring the sub continent and averaging 25).

I think against international class bowling (as evidenced by his ODI batting performances), Prior's batting technique would be found lacking and he'd be dismissed for lower scores than the solid, if relatively unspectacular batting of Foster.

I don't think that Foster is a 'make do' option with the bat - neither is Davies. I have seen nothing in Prior which suggests that he'd be able to translate his first class batting technique to international level.

This is transferred from another thread and is a reply to Andy's query "Anyway, Mike. Have you ever seen Prior keep in a 4 day game?".

The counter view To Mike's has to be that Prior is not a Test batsman, or at least not a no 7: that he is (as Andy suspects) a flat track bully who would be found out at a higher level, or (my own view) that he (like Stewart) bats in a manner that is ill-suited to the no 7 spot. Stewart, it should be recalled, averaged about 7 runs an innings more as wicket-keeper than Russell averaged as wicket-keeper... but that bare stat is grossly misleading as Russell was in many ways the better lower-middle order batsman: Stewart was more likely to come in and score 50 or 100.... but Russell was better at rotating the strike in support of a senior partner and at marshalling the tail.

If Prior's credentials are questionable, Foster's are not: he's well known as a technically sound, solid and gritty batsman who CAN score big... but who ain't going to "do a Stewart" and come in, all guns blazing, trying to usurp a senior batsman like Pietersen and then getting out (perhaps with runs on the board) to leave the senior batsman stranded with the tail.

Quite aside from glovework... I would want more reassuring expert opinions than Mike's when it comes to Prior's batting... and would prefer Foster on the batting front. That said, I find the entire discussion irrelevent as I rate Rod Marsh's verdict on Prior (that he's not got a future as a Test 'keeper) rather more highly than I rate Mike's verdict (that he's 'good enough' for Test cricket).

The way Foster played against lancs yesterday was amazing and I am sure that another performane like that would ensure he beat Prior to the England keeping role.

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I AM THE BEST THERE IS
THE BEST THERE WAS
THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE

I just don't know where to start with this.

Firstly, Foster already averages 25 at test level, despite playing only overseas and after only a handful of first class appearances. To say his batting has improved since is an understatement.

As has been seen by the dropping of Chris Read, the replacement - Jones - was not good enough in the end, and Fletcher ended up backtracking and calling up Read. He's tried Prior, Prior failed and my understanding is that he's not near consideration at the moment. To be honest, Davies is possibly next in line now - but form like Foster showed against Lancs the other day could see him on the plane to Aus.

I'm guessing you've never seen Foster bat either - otherwise you would not be criticising his technique. Rachael summarises his ability in this area very well. Mike - I suggest you try and find some video of the two in full flow (both attacking and defensively) and then give some good reasons why Prior should be chosen ahead of Foster.

This is from Vic Marks' Observer column: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport...869209,00.html