Best test wicketkeeper since Knott?

[Fuller Pilch]

Who was the best keeper (pure gloveman - not batting etc.) since Knott?

 

[subshakerz]

Healy from those I have seen.

 

[sledger]

Chris Read

 

[Slifer]

For those I've seen: Jack Russell. I hear Bob Taylor was pretty special as well.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I personally think it is probably one of Taylor, Bari, Healy, Russell, or Jayawardene. Parore might be 6th.

 

[Howe_zat]

A lot of people thought the difference between Knott and Bob Taylor, who played in Tests after him, was the former's batting. Knott has a bit of a reputation as a 'specialist' keeper here and now but that's only in comparison to people like Gilchrist who was arguably a better batsman than keeper and Sangakkara who obviously was. Knott would still bat #7 in most modern teams. If you look at writing from the time, Knott's almost always described as a fantastic all-round cricketer as well as a world class keeper.

 

[James]

Interesting thread Fuller, makes me curious as to has a player ever been picked for their wicket keeping ability alone and been more or less a bunny with the bat.

 

[peterhrt]

Interesting thread Fuller, makes me curious as to has a player ever been picked for their wicket keeping ability alone and been more or less a bunny with the bat.

It happened quite often in the days of uncovered pitches when the worst of those surfaces made a top-class keeper essential. Herbert Strudwick played 28 Tests for England and was a genuine number eleven. George Duckworth batted number eleven a dozen times during his 24 Tests.

England's greatest Test wicket-keeper was Godfrey Evans, who regularly snaffled half-chances that won matches. He did not always take his batting seriously at number seven and had a long tail behind him, but was still the first name on the teamsheet, holding the record for most Test appearances. By standing up to the stumps to Bedser, he made him twice the bowler for England as he was for Surrey where the keeper stood back. With a fondness for the night life, Evans was not as consistent in county cricket.

In overall first-class cricket, Bob Taylor was probably England's best wicket-keeper.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Among those I have seen, Wridhiman Saha is the best pure glovesman.

 

[subshakerz]

Interesting thread Fuller, makes me curious as to has a player ever been picked for their wicket keeping ability alone and been more or less a bunny with the bat.

Wasim Bari close to that.

 

[subshakerz]

For those I've seen: Jack Russell. I hear Bob Taylor was pretty special as well.

The key point in favor of Healy is his handling of Warne and their relationship. He seemed effortless.

 

[Socerer 01]

Saha should be there in the poll imo

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

A lot of people thought the difference between Knott and Bob Taylor, who played in Tests after him, was the former's batting. Knott has a bit of a reputation as a 'specialist' keeper here and now but that's only in comparison to people like Gilchrist who was arguably a better batsman than keeper and Sangakkara who obviously was. Knott would still bat #7 in most modern teams. If you look at writing from the time, Knott's almost always described as a fantastic all-round cricketer as well as a world class keeper.

Sanga was in Dhoni league as WK Batsman, his batting drastically improved whenever he played as a specialist.

 

[peterhrt]

has a player ever been picked for their wicket keeping ability alone and been more or less a bunny with the bat.

20 wicket-keepers have 40 or more dismissals in Tests with a batting average below 20. Eight are Australian, five English, three West Indian, with one each from Bangladesh, India, New Zealand and Pakistan. None from South Africa, Sri Lanka, or Zimbabwe. In the past, Australia tended to pick their best keepers irrespective of batting. Further back so did England.

Numbers below indicate Test and First-Class batting averages respectively. Read, Baugh and Tallon were obviously better batsmen than their Test averages suggest.

Some of these names will have been in conversations regarding their country's best-ever wicket-keeper: at least Blackham, Tallon, Bob Taylor, Hendriks, Tamhane, Wasim Bari and Khaled Mashud.

Jarman 14 / 22
Langley 14 / 25
Blackham 15 / 16
Grout 15 / 22
Taber 16 / 18
Kelly 17 / 19
Tallon 17 / 29
Rixon 18 / 23

Strudwick 7 / 10
Duckworth 14 / 14
Bob Taylor 16 / 16
Chris Read 18 / 37
Downton 19 / 25

David Williams 13 / 18
Baugh 17 / 31
Hendriks 18 / 17

Khaled Mashud 19 / 24

Tamhane 10 / 18

Artie Dick 14 / 20

Wasim Bari 15 / 21

 

[reyrey]

No James Foster?

Khalid Mashud was also the best Test keeper in Asia for a brief moment. If you're gonna put the likes Dujon on the list then he should be on there too.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

20 wicket-keepers have 40 or more dismissals in Tests with a batting average below 20. Eight are Australian, five English, three West Indian, with one each from Bangladesh, India, New Zealand and Pakistan. None from South Africa, Sri Lanka, or Zimbabwe. In the past, Australia tended to pick their best keepers irrespective of batting. Further back so did England.

Numbers below indicate Test and First-Class batting averages respectively. Read, Baugh and Tallon were obviously better batsmen than their Test averages suggest.

Some of these names will have been in conversations regarding their country's best-ever wicket-keeper: at least Blackham, Tallon, Bob Taylor, Hendriks, Tamhane, Wasim Bari and Khaled Mashud.

Jarman 14 / 22
Langley 14 / 25
Blackham 15 / 16
Grout 15 / 22
Taber 16 / 18
Kelly 17 / 19
Tallon 17 / 29
Rixon 18 / 23

Strudwick 7 / 10
Duckworth 14 / 14
Bob Taylor 16 / 16
Chris Read 18 / 37
Downton 19 / 25

David Williams 13 / 18
Baugh 17 / 31
Hendriks 18 / 17

Khaled Mashud 19 / 24

Tamhane 10 / 18

Artie Dick 14 / 20

Wasim Bari 15 / 21

Also Ken James who played for NZ (and in county cricket) in the 20s and 30s.

From 11 tests he averaged just 4.72 yet had a
1st class average in the 20s with several 100s. Funny old game.

 

[peterhrt]

Also Ken James who played for NZ (and in county cricket) in the 20s and 30s.

From 11 tests he averaged just 4.72 yet had a
1st class average in the 20s with several 100s. Funny old game.

Good keeper by all accounts. One of the first to stand back to medium-pacers, as John Murray and Alan Knott did later.

 

[James]

Super interesting posts @peterhrt, cheers !

 

[kyear2]

It happened quite often in the days of uncovered pitches when the worst of those surfaces made a top-class keeper essential. Herbert Strudwick played 28 Tests for England and was a genuine number eleven. George Duckworth batted number eleven a dozen times during his 24 Tests.

England's greatest Test wicket-keeper was Godfrey Evans, who regularly snaffled half-chances that won matches. He did not always take his batting seriously at number seven and had a long tail behind him, but was still the first name on the teamsheet, holding the record for most Test appearances. By standing up to the stumps to Bedser, he made him twice the bowler for England as he was for Surrey where the keeper stood back. With a fondness for the night life, Evans was not as consistent in county cricket.

In overall first-class cricket, Bob Taylor was probably England's best wicket-keeper.

Exceptional as always

 

[peterhrt]

An old question is the best wicket-keeper never to play Test cricket. Ray Jennings seems an obvious candidate. Procter thought Tich Smith was of similar quality.

Warne said the greatest keepers he saw were Healy and the uncapped Darren Berry, who he claimed should have kept for Australia instead of Gilchrist. Warne rarely had anything positive to say about Gilchrist's wicket-keeping. He also said the most outstanding fielder was another uncapped Victorian, Jamie Siddons.

Seven English wicket-keepers recorded over a thousand first-class dismissals without being selected for England. Perhaps the best was David Hunter of Yorkshire. Behind the stumps he seems to have been as good as any of his contemporaries, but some were more accomplished batsmen, including Dick Lilley.