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England test team of the last 40 years: the wicketkeeper
Posted:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 10:50 amby bigfluffylemon
Another tricky one.
Re: England test team of the last 40 years: the wicketkeeper
Posted:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:29 amby sussexpob
Alec Stewart was a perfectly good wicket keeper batsman, but look at his record.... Keeping actually robbed England of their best batter. Going on pure memory, I think Stewart averaged 35 when keeping, and high 40s (46-48) as a batsman.
Stewart was the better player, but Prioir was better value as the keeper.
Re: England test team of the last 40 years: the wicketkeeper
Posted:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:18 pmby Gingerfinch
Stewart for me
Re: England test team of the last 40 years: the wicketkeeper
Posted:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:22 pmby Arthur Crabtree
Prior would get in the present side as a bat. His batting v the dodgy spinners Pakistan in of UAE was exceptional. But he doesn't get into this XI because he missed about 50% of chances standing up. Though he was the best England keeper I've seen standing back. Stewart was decent standing up. Good batter. Put him at six, Freddie at seven. I'd even have Alec ahead of Knotty, for his batting.
Re: England test team of the last 40 years: the wicketkeeper
Posted:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:40 pmby sussexpob
Arthur Crabtree wrote:Prior would get in the present side as a bat. His batting v the dodgy spinners Pakistan in of UAE was exceptional. But he doesn't get into this XI because he missed about 50% of chances standing up. Though he was the best England keeper I've seen standing back. Stewart was decent standing up. Good batter. Put him at six, Freddie at seven. I'd even have Alec ahead of Knotty, for his batting.
Prior improved as a keeper towards the end, but I'd take Stewart on the gloves.
Re: England test team of the last 40 years: the wicketkeeper
Posted:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 5:33 pmby Durhamfootman
Wasn't a tricky one for me
I grew up idolising Alan Knott. I once took a day off work to go to the Riverside just to watch Jack Russell keeping wicket in the flesh before it was too late. The only other time I've done that was to watch Shane Warne
But Alec Stewart was the ideal wk batsman, who'd get into any England side of the last 40 years with either discipline, which made it a rather easy choice in the end
Re: England test team of the last 40 years: the wicketkeeper
Posted:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 8:57 pmby DiligentDefence
Yet again the best keeper gets sacrificed for team balance. Stewart over Russell. Prior lags behind
Re: England test team of the last 40 years: the wicketkeeper
Posted:
Wed Jun 15, 2022 5:51 amby alfie
Not so easy : admire Stewart , who could do a job either as pure bat or keeper. But Prior has a batting record as keeper second only to Les Ames among Englishmen ; and his keeping improved a lot as his career advanced. So I think I have to pick him .
Russell was , of course , the best pure keeper of the three. But only romantics insist on looking just at one aspect of a player's game these days.