Pakistan v England test match

[BensGrandad]

To be fair, after seeing the reply all the commentators on TMS said Hafeez wasn't out and that it was the right decision, can't really agree that cheated is the right word there

Probably not but apparently the 3rd umpire had no technical equipment to help him so why not stick with the original decision made by the man on the spot.

 

[big nuts]

Thinking of the wicket keeper they had 2 stumpings in our 2nd innings who and when was the last one we got?

I don't think we've had a stumping since Prior retired. I've seen chances missed by both Butler & Bairstow but none taken.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Discussions around the opening bat position, but what about the wicket keeping position? Is it time to go back to our best gloveman rather than worry about their batting? Who is the best pure keeper in County cricket are Read & Foster still ahead of the pack?

Our batting is deep anyway I would prefer a keeper who takes their chances and creates the odd dismissal themselves with outstanding glove work.

Chris Read is 37, Foster 35 – hardly the future of England right now. It's probably harder to give you a list of English county wicket keepers who haven't represented England at some point... Read, Foster, Mustard, Prior, Jones, Kieswetter, Buttler, Ambrose...is there anyone better with the gloves we haven't tried!?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Just shows what a huge player for England Prior was.

 

[big nuts]

Just shows what a huge player for England Prior was.

Prior, Swann and Pietersen and to a lesser extent Trott were always going to be hard to replace as all left for a variety of reasons in quick succession.

Swann being the biggest loss in my opinion.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Just shows what a huge player for England Prior was.

Swann as well.

England need to actually develop whichever spinner they are going to use.

Too often Ali is picked and then Cook does not use him. If he is not going to bowl, not sure him batting at 8 makes any sense.

 

[BensGrandad]

What is Ben Brown at Sussex like as a keeper/batsman?

 

[spring hall convert]

Swann being the biggest loss in my opinion.

Definitely - though Panesar going off the rails at the same time didn't help.

 

[Gwylan]

Chris Read is 37, Foster 35 – hardly the future of England right now.

Yes, it's too late now. But, as I said, I've been saying for years that Read is the man.

What is Ben Brown at Sussex like as a keeper/batsman?

He was mentioned the other day. He's nowhere near a good a batsman as Bairstow or Buttler. Possibly a better keeper, but not as good as Read or Forster.

 

[vegster]

As they say catches win matches as we found to our cost dropping Hafeez and then being cheated with a decision by a 3rd umpire with a worse view than the umpire in the field.

I bet you were surprised to see this result?

 

[Uncle Buck]

Yes, it's too late now. But, as I said, I've been saying for years that Read is the man.



He was mentioned the other day. He's nowhere near a good a batsman as Bairstow or Buttler. Possibly a better keeper, but not as good as Read or Forster.

Have you seen him keep?

He has improved, in so much that he is not longer standing deeper than second slip, but his keeping is not up to playing at the top level.

 

[Bold Seagull]

The flip side with a specialist keeper is that if they're not making runs, when they do make a mistake with the gloves, and no keeper is immune from mistakes in the glare of a test match, it is almost double the pressure on them.

This has happened a few times with England. Keepers not making runs have been under so much pressure with the gloves that they've made mistakes.

Chris Read can consider himself extremely unlucky with England. Possibly Duncan Fletcher's worse period of management was staying faithful with the Ashes '05 side retaining a dismal Jones over Read in the 06/07 Ashes, before finally Read came in and took 6 catches in 2 separate innings when he played the final 2 tests. THEN, even more unbelievably Nixon came in....and that was that, as Prior was next up.

 

[spring hall convert]

Let's remember that Prior's keeping early in his test career was poor before Bruce French got hold of him.

The key for me is whether Bairstow or Buttler have Prior's desire to improve.

 

[BensGrandad]

I bet you were surprised to see this result?

I was more disappointed than surprised as I thought that with a little application we could have reduced the target and then even with that target set could have attacked it better.

 

[vegster]

Let's remember that Prior's keeping early in his test career was poor before Bruce French got hold of him.

The key for me is whether Bairstow or Buttler have Prior's desire to improve.

Buttler seems to have lost confidence with the bat and may have to go back to the county game to find some form next season. Bairstow is improving as a batsman slowly but giving him the extra stress of of keeping may ruin him, I bet the poor sod hates looking at a pair of gloves with what has happened in the past.

 

[BensGrandad]

A task for Acker79, the stats man, but not sure how he would go about it.

Compile a list of County keepers in success order behind the stumps with their batting average.

 

[Gwylan]

Have you seen him keep?

He has improved, in so much that he is not longer standing deeper than second slip, but his keeping is not up to playing at the top level.

I have seen him and he's not a great keeper. But then, I don't think Buttler or Bairstow are either. The point is that if you want a better keeper, you don't pick Brown and if you want a batsman/keeper, then you pick Bairstow or Buttler (or Billings)

 

[pasty]

Thinking of the wicket keeper they had 2 stumpings in our 2nd innings who and when was the last one we got?

Even our "recent-ish" long serving keepers didn't get a huge number.

Alec Stewart 14 in 82 tests, Matt Prior 13 in 79

 

[Pavilionaire]

Really?? I'd rather see Alex Hales given a decent chance to make it.

The way I see that situation is as follows:

1. The following openers have already been picked ahead of him for the test team (and forgive me if I've missed anyone out but the list is getting longer with every series): Compton, Root, Carberry, Robson, Lyth, Ali. This implies he is not that highly regarded by the selectors.
2. He is clearly a decent one-day player, but hasn't consistently amassed big scores in the county 4-day game.
3. Our policy of promoting one-day batsmen into the test team is not proving that successful (i.e. Buttler, Bairstow, Ali).

 

[Pavilionaire]

8 down now.

The one big winner from this test series is Michael Carberry. He's just seen his test career reignited.

I fancy Nick Compton would be ahead of him in the pecking order. The fact Compton was born in South Africa and started playing there, his father and uncle both playing for Natal, makes this a good fit.