“We have been here before, of course. Keith Andrew, Bob Taylor, Jack Russell and Chris Read…” You could also mention James Foster, who played only seven Tests despite being the finest gloveman in the land for most of the first decade of this century. He was no dunce with the bat, either, but the selectors preferred the likes of Tim Ambrose, Geraint Jones and Craig Kieswetter purely because they were thought to have a slight batting edge – even if none of them could match Fozzy behind the stumps.
It was Foster’s long tenure of the gloves at Essex that eventually drove his talented but frustrated understudy to Surrey, a county where he’d get more chances to play. Chap called Foakes, if memory serves. This piece from 2018 marking Foster’s retirement now seems sadly prescient:
“He has seen off various challengers at Essex over the years. Ben Foakes went to Surrey, and Adam Wheater has been kept at bay of late.
“Foakes will be wary when he looks at Foster’s career, actually. The Surrey man is a fine gloveman, with Alec Stewart saying he is the best England have. But with Jonny Bairstow, Jos Butler and Ollie Pope all in the England squad, he may miss out like Foster has. Which would be a shame.”
We just dropped the Ashes. Someone has decided that Bairstow hasn't got the technique to open ( fair point ) but that Crawley has ( not a fair point ) . Australian 3rd and 4th slips everywhere will be licking their lips. Foakes must play , Bairstow must play , Crawley should not . A fatal error
and if you are looking for a new opener ( which we should be ) Jennings is the man . Transformed from his first England goes he's the new Trescothick. But that ship too has now sailed
Yes. And Crawley's should have as well, long ago. Just not a test batsman, like so many before him since Strauss. And wafting Foakes away is nonsense. And exactly what I thought they would do.
As an Australian, I urge the English squad to keep Crawley at opener.
“We have been here before, of course. Keith Andrew, Bob Taylor, Jack Russell and Chris Read…” You could also mention James Foster, who played only seven Tests despite being the finest gloveman in the land for most of the first decade of this century. He was no dunce with the bat, either, but the selectors preferred the likes of Tim Ambrose, Geraint Jones and Craig Kieswetter purely because they were thought to have a slight batting edge – even if none of them could match Fozzy behind the stumps.
It was Foster’s long tenure of the gloves at Essex that eventually drove his talented but frustrated understudy to Surrey, a county where he’d get more chances to play. Chap called Foakes, if memory serves. This piece from 2018 marking Foster’s retirement now seems sadly prescient:
“He has seen off various challengers at Essex over the years. Ben Foakes went to Surrey, and Adam Wheater has been kept at bay of late.
“Foakes will be wary when he looks at Foster’s career, actually. The Surrey man is a fine gloveman, with Alec Stewart saying he is the best England have. But with Jonny Bairstow, Jos Butler and Ollie Pope all in the England squad, he may miss out like Foster has. Which would be a shame.”
More than a shame: as you say, a disgrace.
https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/domestic/farewell_fozzy_essex_hero,_england_enigma_and_perhaps_the_greatest_keeper_of_his_generation.html
We just dropped the Ashes. Someone has decided that Bairstow hasn't got the technique to open ( fair point ) but that Crawley has ( not a fair point ) . Australian 3rd and 4th slips everywhere will be licking their lips. Foakes must play , Bairstow must play , Crawley should not . A fatal error
and if you are looking for a new opener ( which we should be ) Jennings is the man . Transformed from his first England goes he's the new Trescothick. But that ship too has now sailed
Yes. And Crawley's should have as well, long ago. Just not a test batsman, like so many before him since Strauss. And wafting Foakes away is nonsense. And exactly what I thought they would do.