Alan Knott was an exceptional 'Keeper. I seem to remember series after series where he kept flawlessly - no dropped catches and no byes conceded. He was so good that he was taken for granted in that it was often claimed that he only kept his place because of his batting and that Bob Taylor was the better keeper. Although Taylor was an excellent keeper, Knott was better and he was great batsman. Thats the view of his contemporaries, players such as Boycott. Knott was a Keeper first and became a batsman who had the character to do it when it really matters. In the last few years, we seem to be trying to find keeper and hope they can bat - like Reed or perhaps Ambrose, or a batsman who might make a decent keeper like Prior. So far it hasn't worked that well.
Englands problem (imho) is the inconsistancy of the ECB. Either pick ; 1). A wicket keeper. 2). A wicket keeper & no 5/6/7 batsman. or 3). A wicket keeper "pinch-hitter" batsman.
Nowadays, for England anyway and unless Broad continues as both a bowler AND a batsman, the keeper has to be able to bat as least at 7 and average in the order of 30. Foster is the best keeper but Prior deserves his chance again purely because he was dropped because of one or two indifferent performances behind the stumps. Gilchrist got better with age with the gloves but was always a destructive force coming in at 7 and accepting that the purists, from a keeping perspective, won't like it that is the way we have to go imho.
[cite]Posted By: Addick Addict[/cite]I suspect those "rose tinted" Kent glasses are getting the better of you Chirpy. Alec Stewart did not make countless mistakes behind the stumps and probably not too many more than Knotty did. Knotty's reputation was built around his ability to keep to "deadly Derek" and whilst he was a very good number 7 his test average is not in the same league as Stewart's (even if it was not as good as when he was just an opener).
The acid test so far as Stewart is concerned is the fact that we've tried half a dozen keepers since he retired and not one has come up to the standards set by him.
As for Ames I'll have to bow to your better judgement as, unlike your good self, I never saw him playing!!!
Alec Stewart made countless mistakes behind the stumps fella! That is why he played in the same side as Jack Russell. Russell was better keeper, not in Knott or Taylors class though.
Alec Stewart, decent but not great batsmen. Average keeper.
Les Ames, legend. Of course I never saw him play. I never saw Bradman play either nor Elvis in concert but I think it is possible to reley on the evidence avaliable.
[cite]Posted By: Addick Addict[/cite]I suspect those "rose tinted" Kent glasses are getting the better of you Chirpy. Alec Stewart did not make countless mistakes behind the stumps and probably not too many more than Knotty did. Knotty's reputation was built around his ability to keep to "deadly Derek" and whilst he was a very good number 7 his test average is not in the same league as Stewart's (even if it was not as good as when he was just an opener).
The acid test so far as Stewart is concerned is the fact that we've tried half a dozen keepers since he retired and not one has come up to the standards set by him.
As for Ames I'll have to bow to your better judgement as, unlike your good self, I never saw him playing!!!
Knott scored most of his runs when England were up against it, often rescuing the innings when there had been a collapse. He was an unorthodox batsman which came partly from his diminutive size. Cuts, upper cuts, nudges and hoiks to leg were his forte. As for his keeping, he was neat, agile and rarely fumbled the ball. Some of his legside takes and catches were astonishing because he seemed to be able to anticipate and covered a huge amount of ground. His agility mean't that slips could stand wider than they may do with other keepers and that bred confidence. He was used to keeping to Underwood but standing up to the stumps was not his forte in my view.
Knott is the best keeper I've seen. As Bing says he covered a wide area standing back and was also excellent standing up, particularly to Underwood who, although classified as slow left arm, was almost medium pace.
As a batsman he generally scored runs when they were needed chipping in with a 30 or 40 and lending valuable support to a main batsman. When England were mullered by Lillee and Thompson in 74/75 Greig and Knott were the only two batsmen to play them with any degree of success. Greig because at 6ft 7inches the bouncers came at a more convenient height and Knooty because his tremendous reflexes enabled him to improvise shots, even against bowlers of that pace.
Comments
Either pick ;
1). A wicket keeper.
2). A wicket keeper & no 5/6/7 batsman. or
3). A wicket keeper "pinch-hitter" batsman.
And stick with THAT guy.
Alec Stewart made countless mistakes behind the stumps fella! That is why he played in the same side as Jack Russell. Russell was better keeper, not in Knott or Taylors class though.
Alec Stewart, decent but not great batsmen. Average keeper.
Les Ames, legend. Of course I never saw him play. I never saw Bradman play either nor Elvis in concert but I think it is possible to reley on the evidence avaliable.
Knott scored most of his runs when England were up against it, often rescuing the innings when there had been a collapse. He was an unorthodox batsman which came partly from his diminutive size. Cuts, upper cuts, nudges and hoiks to leg were his forte. As for his keeping, he was neat, agile and rarely fumbled the ball. Some of his legside takes and catches were astonishing because he seemed to be able to anticipate and covered a huge amount of ground. His agility mean't that slips could stand wider than they may do with other keepers and that bred confidence. He was used to keeping to Underwood but standing up to the stumps was not his forte in my view.
As a batsman he generally scored runs when they were needed chipping in with a 30 or 40 and lending valuable support to a main batsman. When England were mullered by Lillee and Thompson in 74/75 Greig and Knott were the only two batsmen to play them with any degree of success. Greig because at 6ft 7inches the bouncers came at a more convenient height and Knooty because his tremendous reflexes enabled him to improvise shots, even against bowlers of that pace.