First choice as a keeper would be Read, but his batting is not good enough in a weak England batting line up.

What's wrong with Nixon?, he did not let England down in the World Cup - but if England can't afford to play Read, then Prior is the obvious choice.

I will be voting for Prior later for the WAT England A Team.

__________________
Ern

You want to play your best keeper but that won't happen. Dropped catches can be very expensive. Off the top of my head I remember Jones dropping Gibbs in South Africa and it took our bowlers another two hours to get him out. We ended up coming off for bad light with Ntini and de Villiers at the crease and it was a draw. All the effort put in by our batsmen and bowlers was really wasted. People say Read can't bat but he has over 6,500 first class runs. If he had a run in the side and settled in he would be fine but to be in and out of the team and your coach coming out in public and saying you are not good enough is a bit much. I remember when Boucher started off he had and average of about 16 for a year but SA stuck with him. It's pointless anyway but if I had to pick another keeper it would be Foster. I don't like the look of Nixon or Prior's keeping.

I agree - that's why I said Read would be my first choice.

I remember useing the same argument as you over the Read/Jones long running argument, if Jones scored 50, and then dropped catch with a player on 20 - who goes on to make say 90, that's a net loss of 20 runs.

But it's pointless banging the Read drum any longer, his face does not fit - so IMO England might as well go for the Stewart like option with Prior.

__________________
Ern

First up, Read's case remains exceptional: if England's management and selectors can't work out a way of getting him at the heart of the side then they had better make way for other management and selectors as Read's availability gives England an apportunity to lead the world in terms of glovework. Turning him down for his batting would be like turning Murali down for his batting - madness!

Secondly, though... Mustard is an accomplished gloveman, Foster is acceptable and Davies is supposed to be more than passable: all are quite clearly superior to Prior as stumpers... and in at least two cases I actually prefer the batting as well!!!

I agree on all counts - Read should be in the England side, but the sad fact is he won't get selected despite doing nothing wrong, he probably is the best keeper in the World at the present moment.

I think the England selectors need changing, Graveney and Miller blew the Ashes, aided and abetted by Fletcher and Flintoff (and Vaughan in the background) IMO, but it's worth remembering that the New 'Supremo' Moores, and Skipper Vaughan will have had their input.

__________________
Ern

I like the Australian way of the selectors picking the squad and a selector on tour picking the team. There has been too much favouritism going on. Why would the captain need to have a say, he doesn't travel round the counties watching players, talking to coaches, umpires, opposition teams etc. There is some talk that they might install a sort of manager/director of cricket who oversees the coach and team and goes on tour with them. Two names have come up, Hussain and Stewart, but it could be someone completely different. I think maybe Fletcher and Vaughan have had too much power. Rod Marsh used to have many arguments about selection. I read that he had a job convincing Fletcher to pick Pietersen from the Academy. He also spent nearly a year trying to convince the ECB to bring Cooley on board. I think Marsh and Cooley were instrumental in our upturn in fortunes and once they left things were never the same. I can't see choices like Nixon and Udal going down with Marsh.

I think the England selectors need changing, Graveney and Miller blew the Ashes, aided and abetted by Fletcher and Flintoff (and Vaughan in the background)

I think you are right Ern, about Vaughan in the background running things. Instead of being out in Perth getting fit he always seemed to be in the background with the team. Maybe the choice of Giles and Jones could have been his idea. Fletcher said at the time that he wasn't the only selector (on tour).

I also wonder if Vaughan had a say in the selection of Moores. No one knew Fletcher would retire but the ECB would have an idea of what is in the Schofield report and there might have been a recommendation for a new coach. Vaughan didn't seem very upset or try to change Fletcher's mind.

on today's TMS commentary, Blowers (a former wicket-keeper) noted that Rod Marsh was known as "Iron Gloves" at the start of his career... Boycott noted that this was because he "dropped everything"... and both agreed that Prior made a strong case for inheriting that title in his dire performance behind the pegs at Old Trafford.

I rest my case!

I can't see the cricket, unfortunately, and I have never seen Prior in action, but I have to say I am bewildered at your continual criticism of him, Rachael. What I hear - and admittedly that's not the best sense on which to base a judgment - is a man who, although perhaps diving around a bit more than might be necessary, has stopped a large number of wide deliveries from some of our more erratic bowlers and who has had the bails off already at least a couple of times this morning. Maybe he's not one for the purist, but is he really bad?

I wasn't completely switched on to Blofeld and Boycott this morning as I am unfortunately meant to be doing some work, but I did hear them talking about "Iron Gloves". I got the impression that they were having some light banter rather than making a serious critique of Prior, but again I could be wrong. Either way, from where I am sitting it sounds as though he's doing the job he's paid for.

__________________
Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

I think any keeper would be made to look average keeping to some of the stuff that Harmison and Plunkett have bowled in this series.I am not sure about Prior longterm but he deserves a run in the side to show if he is up to it before he is pilloried.

He's so bad that Rod Marsh, when asked (a year or so back) to review Prior's successful academy tour, suggested the lad had possibilities as a top order bat and sharp cover point fielder.

Marsh explicitly ruled out Prior having a future with the gloves!

In fairness, though, most international wicket-keepers are dire dire: Boucher is poor, Ramdin hasn't a clue, Gilchrist is no more than adequate, Akmal varies between passable and horrendous - they are all more Stewart-level than Russell level with the gloves.

Not one is fit to compare with such recent greats as Keith Piper or Darren Berry... or even with the highly competent (rather-than-exceptional) Chris Read.