The Official Gareth Hopkins isn't terrible thread

[_Ed_]

Very disappointed with Hopkins in this series. Have to look elsewhere now.

 

[Flem274*]

Still think he deserves one more chance, just to see which kind of domestic stalwart he is. O'Brien took four tests of **** to get going and Elliott took a few ODIs as well iirc.

Even if he is dropped, I still think Hopkins is a better batsman than he's shown at test level, even if his average is inflated by playing at Colin Maiden Park a lot.

Personally think we should disregard batting with the current team balance for our keeper and pick the best gloveman.

 

[irottev]

I'd usually be keen for giving him another chance against someone else BUT he'll never play on a flatter pitch and in the 2 first tests he came in with ous in good positions which doesn't happen that often. If he couldn't score runs in that circumstance, didn't produce runs when he was needed then he can go.

 

[Mike5181]

Is there anyone else who comes even remotely close to test level that could replace Hopkins? If we get a decent player there who can average around 30.

 

[Hurricane]

Hi - welcome to CW.

Take a quick scan of this thread for some names of Keepers. Van Wyk is next cab of the rank for my money. Others want Young.

The question is whether to drop Hopkins - or whether to give him a couple more chances. He will do better in NZ conditions against Pakistan.

 

[irottev]

Is there anyone else who comes even remotely close to test level that could replace Hopkins? If we get a decent player there who can average around 30.

Kruger van Wyk. That or else just play Twatling though he's more a back up option - not a long term candidate by any means. Reece Young's the next best thing. Probably the better gloveman but I can't say for sure.

 

[Flem274*]

...or else just play Twatling....

For the millionth time, BJ Watling has been a specialist opening batsman for years and is very much a part time wicketkeeper.

If he ever keeps wicket when there is no injury to a proper wicketkeeper, I will throw my toys like you've never seen before. If we're going to pick a batsman who can keep part time then you might as well call up Mathew Sinclair or Tim Weston. In fact before an injury a few years ago Weston was actually a full wicketkeeper, so he has more rights than BJ Watling to the gloves.

 

[Blocky]

Watling was a full time wicket keeper and was first selected for Northern Districts as a Keeper/Batsman. He still continues to keep whenever he plays club level cricket and it's only due to McGlashan that he gave up the gloves for ND.

He is a very stable established keeper and has not disgraced himself in the few occasions he's had the gloves for NZ.

 

[Flem274*]

If Watling entertains ambitions for the gloves, then he needs to go back to FC cricket and prove he's good enough.

If McGlashan was chosen for the gloves over him, then I'm guessing McGlashan was percieved as the better keeper.

 

[Blocky]

If Watling entertains ambitions for the gloves, then he needs to go back to FC cricket and prove he's good enough.

If McGlashan was chosen for the gloves over him, then I'm guessing McGlashan was percieved as the better keeper.

That just represents the fact that you don’t know the full story as to why McGlashan got the gloves ahead of BJ. BJ spent his entire juniors keeping and only gave up the gloves because ND needed an opening batsman and had McGlashan transfer to their district.

It’s not like asking a guy who very rarely kept to learn how to keep, Watling is a junior keeper, someone who has kept up to the stumps with Anurag Verma and Andrew Mathieson in a club game and is also good enough that he could potentially become a great keeper/bat for NZ with the pressure of his shoulders down the order.

He is the best batsman available (if we consider him a keeper).

 

[Flem274*]

That just represents the fact that you don’t know the full story as to why McGlashan got the gloves ahead of BJ. BJ spent his entire juniors keeping and only gave up the gloves because ND needed an opening batsman and had McGlashan transfer to their district.

It’s not like asking a guy who very rarely kept to learn how to keep, Watling is a junior keeper, someone who has kept up to the stumps with Anurag Verma and Andrew Mathieson in a club game and is also good enough that he could potentially become a great keeper/bat for NZ with the pressure of his shoulders down the order.

He is the best batsman available (if we consider him a keeper).

I still think he should keep at FC level first. The last thing we need is a batsman-keeper. And he has to be better with the gloves than the others (and I have no idea if he could be or not).

Reece Young and Kruger van Wyk appear to be the ones with ringing endorsements as glovemen.

I'm not even certain he is the best batsman out of the potential keepers. I don't really rate him as a batsman at this stage. Too often he abandons his tidy technique and shuffles around like an ipod while poking and prodding at balls outside off, and he was unfortunate to tour India so early in his career because he struggles against good spin bowling.

 

[irottev]

For the millionth time, BJ Watling has been a specialist opening batsman for years and is very much a part time wicketkeeper.

You quoted my post out of context. Well done.

"Kruger van Wyk. That or else just play Twatling though he's more a back up option - not a long term candidate by any means. Reece Young's the next best thing. Probably the better gloveman but I can't say for sure. "

As said above, he used to be a keeper and if NZ needed him he could work on it. From what I saw of him keeping in that Bangladesh ODI he was tidy enough. I'd rather Watling than Hopkins, that's for sure.

 

[NZTailender]

His name is Dereeeeeek...

 

[lockton2skipper]

very big incentive for any young wicketkeepers, of course they need to bat to a decent level.

 

[Somerset]

I still think he should keep at FC level first. The last thing we need is a batsman-keeper. And he has to be better with the gloves than the others (and I have no idea if he could be or not).

He actually has kept at FC level before, in at least 6 matches I can find - although the most recent FC match was in 2007/08. So I agree in the sense that I hardly see the point in proposing him as an option for the test side given he hasn't kept for ND in FC cricket for almost three years.

 

[Athlai]

Truly a dark time for my credibility

 

[Prince EWS]

Athlai digging up his old threads to try and get his reaction score above mine. I see how it is.

 

[Athlai]

Athlai digging up his old threads to try and get his reaction score above mine. I see how it is.

I'm back at work in the office. The cricket is over. I died in mafia immediately. No CPL. Whats a man to do Cribb

 

[Dan]

For the millionth time, BJ Watling has been a specialist opening batsman for years and is very much a part time wicketkeeper.

If he ever keeps wicket when there is no injury to a proper wicketkeeper, I will throw my toys like you've never seen before. If we're going to pick a batsman who can keep part time then you might as well call up Mathew Sinclair or Tim Weston. In fact before an injury a few years ago Weston was actually a full wicketkeeper, so he has more rights than BJ Watling to the gloves.

This aged well.

 

[_Ed_]

This aged well.

To be fair, I thought that too at the time.