As with goalkeepers in football, England has often been synonymous with world-class wicketkeepers. For every Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton and David Seaman, cricket has been blessed with Godfrey Evans, Alan Knott, Matt Prior and maybe even Alec Stewart when his batting was added to the mix.
When Stewart started to focus on opening the batting and subsequently retured, there were several suitable candidates clamouring to take the gloves. Warren Hegg had a couple of opportunities on the 1998-9 Ashes tour Down Under. The following summer, 20 year-old Chris Read claimed six catches and a stumping in a Test victory over New Zealand, but he has managed only fourteen other appearances since then despite clearly being one of the best 'keeper-batsmen in county cricket, even skippering Nottinghamshire to domestic success. Like the others, Essex's finest, James Foster was discarded after an Ashes game, the last of seven caps between 2001 and 2002.
Geraint Jones may sound Welsh, was born in Papua New Guinea but was also the latest in a long line of distinguished Kent 'keepers. He was lucky (or good) enough to be the incumbent during England's purple patch between 2004 and 2006, including the famous Ashes triumph of 2005. He played 34 times in only 2 1/2 years but it was the Aussie backlash in 2006-7 which finished his Test career, even if the heavy defeat was hardly his fault. Tim Ambrose earned eleven Test appearances in 2008-9 after heavy scoring in the Championship and, unlike the aforementioned rivals, began and ended his spell with half-centuries. However, this wasn't enough to keep him as the number one gloveman. Sadly his domestic form with Warwickshire suffered and he eventually took time out of the sport before recovering last summer to help win the title.
Ambrose has been dogged by Matt Prior. The latter displaced him at Sussex and now he has done the same for England. However, this has proved to be a justified decision by selectors as the balding one has gone on to become the fourth highest in England history, in terms of both Test caps and dismissals. His Test average, batting mostly at seven, is an impressive 43, superior even to Alec Stewart's, and his skills behind the stumps has meant his place has not really come under fire - until now.
This week's news of Craig Kieswetter's dropping in favour of his Somerset team-mate and friend, Jos Buttler, in the ODI squad, demonstrates the wealth of 'keeper/batsmen in the county game again. Paul Nixon enjoyed international recognition in his twilight years, and both Phil Mustard and Stephen Davies were given a go for a year or two, along with Prior, of course. With the rise of T20, the ability to thrash bowling to all corners has become an essential part of the 'keeper's armoury. Kieswetter's famous leg-side hoiks eventually had him promoted to opening the batting but it's a while since he delivered a really good innings.
Buttler has earned a reputation for brutal 'finishing', developing his 'scoop' shot and 'inside out' thumps over extra cover. His extraordinary List A average of almost 60 owes much to the fact that a third of his innings have ended not out. However, I feel he needs to have some decent innings for England behid him, rather than just a number of lively cameos. Of course, if he bats at seven in T20, it's not often you get the chance to smash a half-century, especially when your team-mates at the top of the order are doing their jobs.
It's been a few years since the Wedmore lad scored a first-class century and I can't believe he's already 22. Therefore, he is well below Kieswetter and Prior in the Test pecking order. The main danger to the latter surely has to be Jonny Bairstow. While playing 5 Tests, 7 ODIs and 15 T20Is, the Yorkshireman has yet to stand behind the stumps. However, he has a first-class batting average of 46 and has not disgraced himself as a specialist batsman in Test cricket. He can be a highly destructive number three or four in limited overs but has yet to prove it at the highest level. Nevertheless, Jonny is a mere 23 and could become the England regular in a few years' time. However, Matt Prior will have something to say about that!
Showing posts with label Wicketkeepers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wicketkeepers. Show all posts
Friday, 25 January 2013
Monday, 9 July 2012
Taibu and Boucher: A Day of Two Keepers
Nobody likes to see a player suffering a bad injury during play, especially when it's a freak accident. However, when a bail spun up from Gemaal Hussein's shattered wicket and caught Mark Boucher in the eye, it wasn't immediately obviously apparent how serious it was.
The day's play in Taunton should have been about the South Africans' practice for the forthcoming Test series against England, or at least by Peter Trego's brave dismantling of Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis. The Somerset all-rounder's blitz of an innings deserved to take the headlines but instead, it could be that Boucher, set to end his magnificent 15-year Test career this summer, may be forced to bring forward that retirement. Let's hope that surgery on the eye laceration is successful and there is no lasting damage. Donning the gloves and standing up to Imran Tahir again would be a bonus.
Meanwhile, another long-standing wicketkeeper has announced his immediate exit from the international scene. Tatenda Taibu has been part of Zimbabwean cricket for a decade. He's been through two major player revolts, the first black captain of his country (succeeding Heath Streak) and one retirement and now, aged just 29, he has chosen to quit such a quiet life to focus on working for the church. While never a global household name because of his country, he wasn't a bad player at all. His Test batting average of just above 30 was almost identical to Boucher's, albeit from far fewer matches. It would have been interesting to see what would have transpired had Tibbly's attempts to secure qualification for South Africa had been pursued to the end. Might he have deposed the legendary Boucher? We'll never know because Taibu returned to Zimbabwean colours after a two-year break in 2007.
Zimbabwe don't get to play many Tests but Taibu managed to play at least two against each of the top nations. His only century and only victories came in home fixtures against Bangladesh but he made some feisty fifties in other contests, notably facing Pakistan and the West Indies. However, he made only ten in his debut against a second-string Windies attack in 2001 and six in his last match, a humbling defeat by New Zealand.
He made more of a mark in limited overs cricket, representing his country in 150 ODIs. Two centuries came not against Bangladesh or the 'Associates' like Ireland or Canada but the mighty South Africa. His 107 not out at more than a run a ball came in a near impossible run chase five years ago, which ended just 28 runs short despite the attentions of Pollock, Ntini, Morkel and a young Philander. His next hundred was struck in a similar situation two years later, but again in a losing cause. Indeed, he enjoyed only 33 ODI victories, a third of them versus Bangladesh. In the famous triumph of Trent Bridge in 2003, he contributed only four runs and the dismissal of Michael Vaughan but it must have been a great day for the tiny 'keeper then aged barely 20.
Good luck to both African wicketkeeper-batsmen over the coming days, weeks and years. They have served their nations well and Boucher deserves to retire on his own terms, just as Taibu has done in his own unusual way.
The day's play in Taunton should have been about the South Africans' practice for the forthcoming Test series against England, or at least by Peter Trego's brave dismantling of Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis. The Somerset all-rounder's blitz of an innings deserved to take the headlines but instead, it could be that Boucher, set to end his magnificent 15-year Test career this summer, may be forced to bring forward that retirement. Let's hope that surgery on the eye laceration is successful and there is no lasting damage. Donning the gloves and standing up to Imran Tahir again would be a bonus.
Meanwhile, another long-standing wicketkeeper has announced his immediate exit from the international scene. Tatenda Taibu has been part of Zimbabwean cricket for a decade. He's been through two major player revolts, the first black captain of his country (succeeding Heath Streak) and one retirement and now, aged just 29, he has chosen to quit such a quiet life to focus on working for the church. While never a global household name because of his country, he wasn't a bad player at all. His Test batting average of just above 30 was almost identical to Boucher's, albeit from far fewer matches. It would have been interesting to see what would have transpired had Tibbly's attempts to secure qualification for South Africa had been pursued to the end. Might he have deposed the legendary Boucher? We'll never know because Taibu returned to Zimbabwean colours after a two-year break in 2007.
Zimbabwe don't get to play many Tests but Taibu managed to play at least two against each of the top nations. His only century and only victories came in home fixtures against Bangladesh but he made some feisty fifties in other contests, notably facing Pakistan and the West Indies. However, he made only ten in his debut against a second-string Windies attack in 2001 and six in his last match, a humbling defeat by New Zealand.
He made more of a mark in limited overs cricket, representing his country in 150 ODIs. Two centuries came not against Bangladesh or the 'Associates' like Ireland or Canada but the mighty South Africa. His 107 not out at more than a run a ball came in a near impossible run chase five years ago, which ended just 28 runs short despite the attentions of Pollock, Ntini, Morkel and a young Philander. His next hundred was struck in a similar situation two years later, but again in a losing cause. Indeed, he enjoyed only 33 ODI victories, a third of them versus Bangladesh. In the famous triumph of Trent Bridge in 2003, he contributed only four runs and the dismissal of Michael Vaughan but it must have been a great day for the tiny 'keeper then aged barely 20.
Good luck to both African wicketkeeper-batsmen over the coming days, weeks and years. They have served their nations well and Boucher deserves to retire on his own terms, just as Taibu has done in his own unusual way.
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Somerset Twins
In the past few weeks, Somerset's acute injury problem, combined with Alfonso Thomas' spell in the IPL, has led the county to introduce another couple of teenagers alongside the likes of Buttler, Barrow, Gregory, Meschede and Dockrell. What makes Craig and Jamie Overton unusual is not simply that they are brothers- but that they are twins.
Born in Barnstaple, the two are tall, blonde seam bowlers. Peeping into the County Ground at Taunton today, I can testify that they are indeed identical. It seemed quite odd to see Jamie toss the ball to Craig as he returned to his run-up marker. The current game against Durham is not the first time they have represented Somerset together and is unlikely to be their last. Jamie was a little wayward this afternoon but Craig's medium pace looked quite tidy in comparison with his team mates. I wonder whether they would be tempted to swap shirts should one be bowling - or batting - particularly well. "Hey, Tres, didn't we get that bloke out for 150 earlier today?" "No, that's his brother!" (Tee-hee, they'll never know....).
The Overtons are not the only examples of a twin playing for Somerset. Between 1966 and 1982, Derek Taylor was a great servant to county cricket. I remember him as an excellent wicket-keeper who could bat a bit. In those days of blue caps and broad white collars, he stood out as a neat player, and played more than 300 first-class games, scoring four centuries. Derek's twin, Mike was primarily a bowler, and took 830 first-class wickets at a mere 26.52 apiece, largely for Hampshire and Nottinghamshire. No chance of swapping them either, as they never played for the same county, nor even the same provincial side in South Africa. Apart from their appearance and familial heritage, they did have something else in common. Their initials were DJS and MNS, and what did the S stand for? Somerset! It was surely destiny that took Derek to Taunton, but I'm not sure what went wrong in Mike's case!
Neither Taylor twin was given the opportunity of representing their country, as the Bedsers had done many years earlier. In more recent times, James and Hamish Marshall have played for New Zealand many times, occasionally in the same side. With distinctive red frizzy curls, they will always stand out on the pitch. Hamish is now trying to recover some form with Gloucestershire after a mediocre 2011 and almost being released this summer, but he's too good a player not to persevere. It's six years since his last Test match, when Steyn and Ntini wrecked the Black Caps at Centurion, and five since his final ODI in the World Cup against Ireland.
However, the most famous international cricketing twins must be Steve and Mark Waugh, albeit not identical. The former may have forged the most successful career in terms of runs and as a brilliant captain of one of the greatest Australian sides since the 1940s, but Mark was the more elegant strokemaker of the two. I witnessed some attractive innings for Essex two decades ago but he had a few difficult patches, notably four consecutive ducks against Sri Lanka. His Test average of 42 doesn't match his talent at the top level, although he had a better record than his brother in one-dayers. Steve also had a brief dalliance with county cricket. Where else would a twin choose to ply his trade but Somerset. Of course!
Born in Barnstaple, the two are tall, blonde seam bowlers. Peeping into the County Ground at Taunton today, I can testify that they are indeed identical. It seemed quite odd to see Jamie toss the ball to Craig as he returned to his run-up marker. The current game against Durham is not the first time they have represented Somerset together and is unlikely to be their last. Jamie was a little wayward this afternoon but Craig's medium pace looked quite tidy in comparison with his team mates. I wonder whether they would be tempted to swap shirts should one be bowling - or batting - particularly well. "Hey, Tres, didn't we get that bloke out for 150 earlier today?" "No, that's his brother!" (Tee-hee, they'll never know....).
The Overtons are not the only examples of a twin playing for Somerset. Between 1966 and 1982, Derek Taylor was a great servant to county cricket. I remember him as an excellent wicket-keeper who could bat a bit. In those days of blue caps and broad white collars, he stood out as a neat player, and played more than 300 first-class games, scoring four centuries. Derek's twin, Mike was primarily a bowler, and took 830 first-class wickets at a mere 26.52 apiece, largely for Hampshire and Nottinghamshire. No chance of swapping them either, as they never played for the same county, nor even the same provincial side in South Africa. Apart from their appearance and familial heritage, they did have something else in common. Their initials were DJS and MNS, and what did the S stand for? Somerset! It was surely destiny that took Derek to Taunton, but I'm not sure what went wrong in Mike's case!
Neither Taylor twin was given the opportunity of representing their country, as the Bedsers had done many years earlier. In more recent times, James and Hamish Marshall have played for New Zealand many times, occasionally in the same side. With distinctive red frizzy curls, they will always stand out on the pitch. Hamish is now trying to recover some form with Gloucestershire after a mediocre 2011 and almost being released this summer, but he's too good a player not to persevere. It's six years since his last Test match, when Steyn and Ntini wrecked the Black Caps at Centurion, and five since his final ODI in the World Cup against Ireland.
However, the most famous international cricketing twins must be Steve and Mark Waugh, albeit not identical. The former may have forged the most successful career in terms of runs and as a brilliant captain of one of the greatest Australian sides since the 1940s, but Mark was the more elegant strokemaker of the two. I witnessed some attractive innings for Essex two decades ago but he had a few difficult patches, notably four consecutive ducks against Sri Lanka. His Test average of 42 doesn't match his talent at the top level, although he had a better record than his brother in one-dayers. Steve also had a brief dalliance with county cricket. Where else would a twin choose to ply his trade but Somerset. Of course!
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Boucher pouches number 500
On the day when Sachin Tendulkar passed 15,000 runs, it was easy to overlook another mammoth milestone achieved in Test cricket: South Africa's Mark Boucher took his 500th catch. The wicketkeeper seems to have been around forever, yet he is only 34. In the past 14 years he has represented his country 139 times, missing only 10 matches in that period. Indeed Boucher has become so synonymous with South Africa's + symbol that I had to delve into the record books to remind me who wore the gloves on a regular basis before him (Dave Richardson, as you ask).
It's not like any other 'keeper has come remotely close to taking 500 Test catches, the nearest being Adam Gilchrist with 379. Of course, Gilly had to wait a while before getting his chance in the great Aussie side because Ian Healy had been the incumbent for 119 Tests before him. Indeed, Healy ranks third in he all-time list, ahead of another Australian legend Rod Marsh and West Indies' Jeff Dujon. Boucher also has more than 400 ODI catches to his name, although AB De Villiers' superior batting firepower has tended to allow the man from East London to sit out all bar 25 T20 internationals.
Mark Boucher made his Test debut aged only 20 on South Africa's tour of Pakistan in 1997 but torrential rain meant he didn't take his first catch until the reciprocal tour the following February. Pakistan skipper Aamer Sohail was his first victim and he also contributed 78 with the bat. Today, Phil Hughes and Mike Hussey were added to the long list of batsmen who have seen 'c Boucher...' by their names on scorecards. Of course, wicketkeepers don't take catches without good bowlers serving up the ammunition, and Boucher has kept to some pretty formidable 'quicks'. I recently wrote about the line of pacemen for South Africa, focussing on Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and now Dale Steyn. However, Boucher has taken more catches (84) off the bowling of Mukhaya Ntini than any other team-mate, although the Lillee-Marsh pairing a few decades earlier yielded 95 .
Boucher seems to have prospered against England in particular, not only at home but away, too. Maybe that's because both South African and English pitches tend to favour seam or swing, much to the liking of Donald, Pollock, Ntini et al. However, he has a superior batting average against England, too, so it's about more than poor batting wickets. In an era boasting several superb wicketkeeper-batsmen, it can be easy to overlook the scoring record of the South Africa veteran. Sangakkara, Dhoni and Gilchrist have achieved great things with the bat but in Tests they have often been employed as specialist batsmen, only taking the gloves in limited over cricket. However, Boucher has so far scored more than 5000 runs in Tests, including five hundreds, at an average of over 30. OK, so even Matt Prior's average and century count are superior, but Boucher's fitness and superiority to any other of his rivals has contributed to an enviable longevity at the top of his profession.
He has a reputation for being a bit of a hard nut, a driven professional who plays to win, in the Aussie mould, but he has been a wonderful servant to South Africa and cricket generally, showing that an excellent gloveman is worth his weight in gold. It's not just about thrashing sixes - although he has hit twenty of them over the years. It's not beyond the realms of reality that Mark Boucher could reach the even dizzier heights of 600 catches, although 600 victims including stumpings may be more realistic. SA have not been renowned for spin bowling, which is why Boucher has successfully whipped off the bails a mere 22 times. However, with the likes of Steyn, Morkel and now Philander nipping the ball away from batsmen for fun in the next few years, who's to say more milestones can't be reached?
It's not like any other 'keeper has come remotely close to taking 500 Test catches, the nearest being Adam Gilchrist with 379. Of course, Gilly had to wait a while before getting his chance in the great Aussie side because Ian Healy had been the incumbent for 119 Tests before him. Indeed, Healy ranks third in he all-time list, ahead of another Australian legend Rod Marsh and West Indies' Jeff Dujon. Boucher also has more than 400 ODI catches to his name, although AB De Villiers' superior batting firepower has tended to allow the man from East London to sit out all bar 25 T20 internationals.
Mark Boucher made his Test debut aged only 20 on South Africa's tour of Pakistan in 1997 but torrential rain meant he didn't take his first catch until the reciprocal tour the following February. Pakistan skipper Aamer Sohail was his first victim and he also contributed 78 with the bat. Today, Phil Hughes and Mike Hussey were added to the long list of batsmen who have seen 'c Boucher...' by their names on scorecards. Of course, wicketkeepers don't take catches without good bowlers serving up the ammunition, and Boucher has kept to some pretty formidable 'quicks'. I recently wrote about the line of pacemen for South Africa, focussing on Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and now Dale Steyn. However, Boucher has taken more catches (84) off the bowling of Mukhaya Ntini than any other team-mate, although the Lillee-Marsh pairing a few decades earlier yielded 95 .
Boucher seems to have prospered against England in particular, not only at home but away, too. Maybe that's because both South African and English pitches tend to favour seam or swing, much to the liking of Donald, Pollock, Ntini et al. However, he has a superior batting average against England, too, so it's about more than poor batting wickets. In an era boasting several superb wicketkeeper-batsmen, it can be easy to overlook the scoring record of the South Africa veteran. Sangakkara, Dhoni and Gilchrist have achieved great things with the bat but in Tests they have often been employed as specialist batsmen, only taking the gloves in limited over cricket. However, Boucher has so far scored more than 5000 runs in Tests, including five hundreds, at an average of over 30. OK, so even Matt Prior's average and century count are superior, but Boucher's fitness and superiority to any other of his rivals has contributed to an enviable longevity at the top of his profession.
He has a reputation for being a bit of a hard nut, a driven professional who plays to win, in the Aussie mould, but he has been a wonderful servant to South Africa and cricket generally, showing that an excellent gloveman is worth his weight in gold. It's not just about thrashing sixes - although he has hit twenty of them over the years. It's not beyond the realms of reality that Mark Boucher could reach the even dizzier heights of 600 catches, although 600 victims including stumpings may be more realistic. SA have not been renowned for spin bowling, which is why Boucher has successfully whipped off the bails a mere 22 times. However, with the likes of Steyn, Morkel and now Philander nipping the ball away from batsmen for fun in the next few years, who's to say more milestones can't be reached?
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