Posted by Jonathan Agnew wrote today: “Tim Ambrose might be one of the shortest men currently playing Test cricket, but this man can bat.”
We’d go further than that. We’d say, ‘Tim Ambrose might have attended Merewether Selective High, but he managed to hit two sixes’.
We like a good non-sequitur.
Before this Test series, we had a concern. Matt Prior had been dropped and yet another man had been handed the wicketkeeping gloves. We’d been thinking that England wicketkeepers’ lifespans largely depend on who they play against.
Chris Read and Geraint Jones were both brought back and then dropped again during one Ashes series. Matt Prior had a comfortable introduction against the West Indies, but then got progressively worse against India and then Sri Lanka. Whoever the next wicketkeeper was would surely make the position his own given two consecutive series against New Zealand. But would this give a false impression of his worth?
Now we’re thinking: who cares? At least he’s scoring some runs, unlike the six men above him in the batting order. And he’s been catching the ball.
New Zealand v England, second Test at Wellington – day one
England 291-5 (Tim Ambrose 97 not out)
Seven players have started as keeper for England in internationals since the start of the 2006-07 Ashes. Can anyone name them all, without Cricinfo?
We know that Vikram Solanki’s the tricky one, but we’ve forgotten someone major, we think…
Nixon!
It was Paul Nixon we forgot.
That was a Dickens of a good innings Tim – God Bless us Everyone!
How the hell could you forget Nixon?
Tim Ambrose: come in, take off your shoes, let me get you a drink and put the TV on for you. Please stay.
atleast…his approach towards batting is positive…
his was the most refreshingly good innings i saw after a while in tests…so lets enjoy till it lasts…
Go on the wanky wicky!
The reason the all start so well, is that they know they’ve only got a short lifespan.
They come out of the blocks, like Tyson Gay.
Who’s next if Ambrose fails?
Steven Davies?
All Players England players should have a short lifespan in the team, they all come in and do well, look at all the wicket keepers, and strauss and pietersen, before eventually struggling with the average dropping. So we should drop them before it happens. 20 tests top! unless you average 60+ after a minimum of 10, then your out before you start struggling!
I like Soviet’s idea. We could use all the county keepers on a rota basis. No one can succumb to the pressure because there is no pressure – eveyone gets dropped after 5 tests regardless of form; everyone gets selected when their turn comes around regardless of performance
Lemon Bella, is this just so that you can see Geraint Jones back?
Here’s to that, Soviet…
I might get a chance to see my beloved James Foster playing in The England whites again.
Although the downside is, that we all get to see (by see, I mean hear) Paul Nixon behind the stumps.
And what with all ICL players being banned, we don’t have to listen to stupid Warney banging on about Nic Pothas getting a go.
Just for one moment imagine curtly wicket keeping.
If someone could resurrect the dead, England could pick the Northants keeper from the 1950s Kenneth Fiddling. http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/13037.html
He played in the same side as the bowler Bert Nutter… and people laugh at caught Mustard bowled Onions…. The 50s were so much funnier
Why did the Fiddlings and Nutters of the Fifties not procreate. What happened to them all?
Miriam. I’ve moved on from my commitment to seeing Jonesy back in the England side: they’re not worthy of him. I’m now backing him to be nothing short of King of the Entire World.
There’s no catching involved in that job, at least.
Hey!
Be careful. I have pages and pages of wicket keeping stats which disprove that scurrilous rumour. I may feel moved to use them.
The only time you get to see more drops than when Jones is keeping is when it rains.