Is Matt Prior the best keeper/batsman

[akilana]

The stats boys will say that de Villiers is a much better batsman than Prior but if you've actually watched them both play over the past few years you'll see that this isn't really the case. The gap is pretty marginal. If you asked me who i'd rather have coming in at 500/3, I'd say de Villiers; if you asked me who I'd rather have coming in at 50/3, well, I wouldn't say de Villiers.

In those both situation, I would take AB. He has played far more innings under pressure than Prior.

 

[marc71178]

As shown by his stellar record of lone tons. Bell-like isn't it?

 

[akilana]

That's a stupid creteria which for example will rule out his 100 that he made against Australia when chasing 400.

 

[Viscount Tom]

3 tons when no one else has ftr.

AB just isn't someone you want to halt a rot he's not that type of bloke he capitalises on good start incredibly well but he's not going to be the guy to rescue the team from a **** situation very often.

 

[Satyanash89]

That's a stupid creteria which for example will rule out his 100 that he made against Australia when chasing 400.

Or the 33 in 220 balls in the du Plessis match, which was absolutely vital
Or the crucial 60 odd against Pakistan at Cape Town where South Africa looked like conceding a 100+ first innings lead. Without him and Peterson (who went completely bonkers), SA would have lost

Seriously "lone hundreds"? What stupid criteria will people come up with next ?

 

[Prince EWS]

People trying to argue that Prior is a better batsman than de Villiers are being almost as silly as the people trying to argue that de Villiers is a better keeper/batsman IMO. Silly extremes.

 

[Spikey]

i dont have much to add other than that AB's century at Perth after the amla/smith heroics was just so utterly predictable. WAG

 

[MW1304]

In those both situation, I would take AB. He has played far more innings under pressure than Prior.

Not trying to demean de Villiers, he's a class batsman. I wouldn't say he's played more knocks under pressure than Prior though, especially in the last year or so where Prior has been consistently coming in at 5 down for not much, yet still managing to scrape us to totals/play lone hands. The gap between them isn't as much as 5 points in the average, or whatever, suggests, and when you take into account keeping, in both experience and current ability, i'm not sure there's a contest as to the better keeper-batsman. I can understand why someone would rather have him in their XI depending on balance, if they put him at 5 to fit in an extra bowler. Prior is undoubtedly the better 7 though.

 

[marc71178]

Seriously "lone hundreds"? What stupid criteria will people come up with next ?

It was fair game when it was have a go at Ian Bell season (at a time when he was piling up runs) so why shouldn't it be applied here?

 

[Adders]

If Prior was in contention for the SA side (avoid the urge to make the obvious-and-not-funny wisecrack here, please), then there is no doubt in my mind that he would be taking the gloves in the next Test match.

This.

Another way to look at it is if Boucher was still playing then AB wouldn't be the Saffers glove man......and would we be having any argument as to who was the better keeper/batsmen out of Boucher or Prior?? No, I don't think so.

 

[Riggins]

people saying prior is more likely to take a hanger are kidding themselves.

 

[Mike5181]

I don't think the batting difference is "negligible". It's not a dispute that both players are currently in superb touch - but over the last three years, AB is averaging 70 and Prior "only" 50. Whether this has any relevance in the "keeper-batsman" discussion is a moot point, however, as AB "only" averages 50 as keeper - and, with Kapil's point about (i) leg-side takes and (ii) match fitness, my mind is drawn to one conclusion:

If Prior was in contention for the SA side (avoid the urge to make the obvious-and-not-funny wisecrack here, please), then there is no doubt in my mind that he would be taking the gloves in the next Test match.

He'd take the gloves in the South African team because he's the better keeper, not necessarily the better overall package. It would also be in place of someone like Dean Elgar simply because he's a better bat. So it wouldn't just be a AB vs Prior situation. I guess it comes down to a simple comparison. I see Prior as someone who's a very good batsman, and a very good keeper. AB is approaching that great status with the bat while only being a capable keeper. Prior's overall package imo is better when you factor in both aspects of the role.

 

[Bahnz]

I haven't seen AB make any obvious mistakes either. Admittedly, he has an easier job wicket keeping to a seam dominated attack, but I certainly reckon his keeping is above the basic "competent" standard, and now that he's doing it full time in all forms he's only going to get better.

I'd still prefer Prior if my team had a top quality spinner though.