Matt vs Craig (England Cricket ODIs)

[Scoffers]

So give the fact that the (badly) highlighted stats above show that Craigs ODI record is only slightly better than Matt's, why drop the Test Match keeper, who is clearly in form and much more experienced?

Also, if form is a guide, Craig bagged his second duck of the match in County Championship match that finished today. I know I'm a Sussex fan and biased towards Matt, but I don't get the decision to drop Matt

Thoughts?

 

[Giraffe]

I would pick Matt for sure. Described by Alec Stewart as the best batsman wicket keeper England have ever had and yet can't get in the one day team! Joke.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

England's loss is Sussex's gain.

 

[Uncle Buck]

England's loss is Sussex's gain.

Only if Flower lets him play for us.

 

[mikeyjh]

I'd say that Prior has 'had his chance' and that Kieswetter is seen as the 'future' and in fairness while there isn't a huge difference, Kieswetter's stats are better in every department ie. He has an ODI hundred, better strike rate, better average..... I haven't seen much of CK's keeping but Prior's recent form behind the stumps won't have dome him any favours

 

[vegster]

Bedwetter is one for the future and has a better record per number of innings. 62 innings with a high score of only 87 is not that great a return from Matt, whereas, the other Johannesbourg born wicketkeeper has hit three figures already in 12. Simples.

 

[sten_super]

Prior has had plenty of time to establish himself in the one day side, and has completely failed to do so. Kieswetter has only played 12 games, I don't think it's fair to compare their averages; after 12 games Prior's average was 20. No doubt Kieswetter will have off days, particularly with the gloves, but they clearly want to invest some time and effort into him.

It's also clear that a 'dynamic' (i.e. big hitting) opener is needed to partner Cook, unless he can reinvent his game in the same way Strauss does, and Kieswetter is the most obvious candidate for that role.

 

[Scoffers]

To be fair, Kieswetters ODI hundred was against Bangladesh!

and aren't we supposed to pick people on form? This is Craigs last 3 matches

10 runs in total from his last 4 domestic innings for Craig whereas Matty has a century vs SL under his belt!

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I think there is still a bit of an anti-Prior mentality among the hierarchy and certain commentators. Plus the media certainly hyped his window breaking performance at Lords. Contrast the way in which he sacrificed his wicket as England raced to a declaration and the chance of test wins at Lords and the RoseBowl compared to his rather reticent team mates, who still had one eye on their batting averages.

Prior's keeping has come on leaps and bounds and is far more consistent across his role in the Test team having seen off the challenge from Tim Ambrose etc. Not sure Prior has received a fair crack of the whip in the one dayers - why drop him now? The old invincible Aussie side (rightly) used Gilchrist in both Tests and 1 dayers for years, so why can't England stick with Prior? That magnificent aggressive century at the SCG Ashes test was really a 1 day knock and really stuck the knife into the Aussie wounds.

Kieswetter has gone off the boil since a fairly spectacular start to his international career. I don't mind giving young bloods a chance so they gain experience but not sure he deserves being selected over Prior.

I always felt when commentating Nasser Hussein in particular had difficulty accepting that Prior has improved and still only grudgingly gives him credit. Perhaps something to do with his old mucker Foster at Essex not getting a chance. However it is nice that Prior's form has made observers swallow some of their earlier comments. It is great to hear Beefy talking up Prior maybe because he is a similar 'in your face' character and gets under the skin of the opposition, which is never a bad thing, especially when the Ashes are at stake.

Hope Matty enjoys a few days break - and then gets a shed load of runs for Sussex.

 

[sten_super]

SoC, I would agree that Prior's keeping is fantastic now. The big puzzle is over his batting - as you say he is able to compile wonderful swashbuckling (dare I say it one day game style) hundreds in Test cricket, but he's never (in 62 innings his highest score is 82!) managed to do that in an ODI. Recently journalists have supposed that maybe his problem is that his Test runs are based on width (see his wagon wheel from the hundred in this series 2nd Test: England v Sri Lanka at Lord's, Jun 3-7, 2011 | Cricket Wagon wheel | ESPN Cricinfo) and he tends to defend the straight stuff, while in ODIs, when the bowling is generally much straighter, he finds it difficult to score at the required rate.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Sten super is right - Matty is just the man for flaying a tiring bowling test attack, but does seem to struggle against the top one day bowlers who keep things tight and force errors through accuracy and no width. Lot of pressure on one day openers trying to get the innings off to a flyer.

This might be a good time for Prior to have a break as there will be some pretty handy specialist opening bowlers around this summer - such as Zaheer Khan. The images of Malinga firing in those high speed toe crushing yorkers last night was quite something, there will be a few sore batsmens feet about. If Kieswetter can cope with that then maybe he deserves to be the one day keeper!

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

I think its good for Matt that he is just in the test side. He's well and truly established there, but I don't think it was doing him any favours being moved all around the ODI line up.

 

[Scoffers]

I see your point Sten, I think thats fair!