Best 'keeper of the 90s

[TheJediBrah]

Russell and Healy

Yeah this. These 2 pretty clearly better than the others mentioned.

I remember Parore being pretty ordinary tbh

England have had some pretty exeptional keepers over the last few decades, but few of them got much of a chance in Tests because they couldn't really bat

 

[Burgey]

Russell & Healy both awesome. Latif was very very good as well. Limited opportunities compared with the other two, sadly. Healy's rise from pretty ordinary reserve keeper for Qld to gun keeper-batsman took about all of four years. He was excpetional and arguably the hardest working player in the Australian side ofthat era. The extras he used to put in are legendary.

My two favourite pieces of wicket keeping that decade were Russell's legside stumping of Dean Jones off Gladstone Smal at the SCG in the New Years Test of 1991, and Healy's leg side stumping of Mrak Burcher off Michael Bevan's bowling at Old Trafford in the 1997 Ashes.

Healy's is, of course, in one of Rob's tweets here: https://twitter.com/robelinda2/status/1255699051468607489

It's just exceptional. Balance, foot work, anticipation, the lot. Classic example of feet beating hands as a keeper, though the glove work is of course crazy good too. That little skip he puts in there is just a bit of artistry - gets him across that bit quickeer and with better balance than one big lunge, which would have had his balance going the wrong way to take the bails off.

The Jack Russell one also a Rob video (of course - bloke is rightly a cult hero) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgn4f8xDYI8

Slightly different technique with Russell taking one big step across, probably due to the extra pace Small is bowling compared with the Bevan/ Healy clip, but perhaps someone who's a keeper can comment on that. Crazy good hand speed though and still really well balanced.


We didn't get to see as much cricket from all over back then, so those are the two which stood out to me from that era.

 

[trundler]

I've seen a video of Russell doing the rounds on Facebook. There's some serious gold in there. Anyone seen it?

 

[Burgey]

Is it the Masterclass video or is it something of a more personal nature?

 

[trundler]

It's a compilation of his best work. Some ridiculous stumpings off pacers and such in there.

 

[Moss]

Dave Richardson anyone? Think he gets less remembered because Boucher came along and put up some excellent numbers, but was ever present during the 90s and did an excellent job for the most part.

Mongia was fantastic standing up, in particular his keeping to Kumble. Much like Parore he was a bit of moody character and could run hot and cold (with the bat especially) and that seems to have affected his reputation a bit.

 

[Moss]

Compilation of Ian Healy's stumpings, some real artwork in there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NNwRDHwoB4

Definitely pulled off the best stumpings I've seen along with Dhoni.

 

[Line and Length]

The Jack Russell one also a Rob video (of course - bloke is rightly a cult hero) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgn4f8xDYI8

Slightly different technique with Russell taking one big step across, probably due to the extra pace Small is bowling compared with the Bevan/ Healy clip, but perhaps someone who's a keeper can comment on that. Crazy good hand speed though and still really well balanced.

An excellent piece of work - thanks for the clip Burgey. Leg side stumpings off medium-fast bowlers must be among the hardest to execute - especially as the delivery is partially by the batsman.

Here is another. It's from the 90s but the 'keeper, Darren Berry, couldn't make the Test team ahead of Healy and. later, Gilchrist.

 

[honestbharani]

TBF, as a keeper, a ball coming in the same angle it was delivered in are rather easy to take. I think I have seen many better leg side stumpings than that one. But this Darren Berry guy used to work a lot with Warney and even Greg Chappell, I think, and he held him in very high esteem right?

 

[Line and Length]

TBF, as a keeper, a ball coming in the same angle it was delivered in are rather easy to take. I think I have seen many better leg side stumpings than that one. But this Darren Berry guy used to work a lot with Warney and even Greg Chappell, I think, and he held him in very high esteem right?

Yes, Warne regarded him very highly.

 

[Migara]

That's pure brilliance.

In that video you posted in the other thread. He took some smart catches fielding at slip to Murali.

Tillekaratne was as good as Solkar at that position. He has taken some ridiculously difficult catches with no hassle at that position. Taking them off Murali was relatively easy. But when it is spinning comparable amounts, jumping off the length at 100 - 110k from Jayananda Warnaweera, it is no joke. It is sad Warnaweera never played more. His abrasive personality got him in to multiple altercations with selectors and the board.

 

[Migara]

And Tillekaratne was able to pull out this too, other than for his batting, keeping and catching.

 

[stephen]

Darren Berry was good enough to keep Gilchrist out of the NSW side for some time.

 

[morgieb]

Darren Berry was good enough to keep Gilchrist out of the NSW side for some time.

Darren Berry was a Vic......

 

[Dendarii]

Dave Richardson anyone? Think he gets less remembered because Boucher came along and put up some excellent numbers, but was ever present during the 90s and did an excellent job for the most part.

South Africa's lack of a decent spinner probably counts against him (I think Richardson holds the record for the most dismissals before his first stumping), so it's perhaps a little harder to rate his ability when standing up to the stumps. He also only averaged 24 with the bat, which is a bit less than the others.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Darren Berry was good enough to keep Gilchrist out of the NSW side for some time.

Are you thinking of Phil Emery?

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Are we missing a 90s keeper in this discussion? Possibly from early 90?

 

[Moss]

South Africa's lack of a decent spinner probably counts against him (I think Richardson holds the record for the most dismissals before his first stumping), so it's perhaps a little harder to rate his ability when standing up to the stumps. He also only averaged 24 with the bat, which is a bit less than the others.

Agreed. In the last 2-3 years of his career he did have to keep to Paul Adams (decent enough at the very least?). Think he kept fairly well to him during the India tour in 1996-97. Hard to rate where he stands maybe, but belongs in the conversation IMO.

 

[Line and Length]

Are we missing a 90s keeper in this discussion? Possibly from early 90?

Junior Murray?

 

[Moss]

Are we missing a 90s keeper in this discussion? Possibly from early 90?

Noticeable lack of West Indians in the discussion. Don't remember much about David Williams (apart from being an exceptionally useless bat, barring one innings in which his partnership with Hooper snatched a test match from England's grasp), but was supposedly a fine keeper? Junior Murray and Courtney Browne as I recall were decent enough without being exceptional.

Ridley Jacobs is probably my favourite West Indian player from the Lara-Adams-Hooper captaincy eras when they seriously began to decline, probably didn't play enough in the 90s to figure in the discussion.