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[GarrettJ]

Like someone said before, anyone can stop byes and catch nicks off the quicks. I can safely say i have dropped a maximum of 2 catches standing back to quicks in 20 years of senior cricket ... im 34.

standing up is what makes a keeper and not a stopper.

You should be able to stand up to someone who you would stand 10 yards back for and catch it easy. YOu shoudl also be taking 100% of the legside balls from spinners.

Practice ina net taking it sowwn the leg side with a batsman just stood there. If your not taking the bails off 75% of the time then i think you should not bother. A wicket keeper is a very very important position. By simply standing up you can really mess up a free scoring batsman but can you do it to 70mph bowling without wearing a poxy helmet?

[wilkie113]

I stood up to most of our quicks apart from one when keeping part time this year.

I got one hell of a bruise on my forearm, batsmen inside edged it and it smashed into my left arm, literally covered the whole of my forearm! Absolute pearler!

[Buzz]

having tried keeping for a few games, I would say it is fun, but standing up is harder than it looks. I got asked because I am a decent slip and an average outfielder.

actually my keeping was more standing in gloves...

watching simmy standing up to the medium pacers at the aoc game was poetry, apart from the simple knick he dropped

[jimster]

Completely agree with everything thats been said about standing up to the stumps and back! Im 16 now and have been keeping since U11! I think the main reason i enjoy keeping these days is because of now being able to stand up to the quicks, always hard when theres a decent knick from the batsmen, but some of the time is down to luck whether they stick or they dont!

[Dan W]

watching simmy standing up to the medium pacers at the aoc game was poetry, apart from the simple knick he dropped

Yup!..I can't Imagine I'm the first to think "'kinell, he doesn't half move fast for a big lass..."

[Kieron_BT]

If your not getting a chance in games get behind the stumps during your net sessions and show what you can do!

Was also an opening bowler and decent fielder but had always kept as a junior and school. Got back into it when I had surgery on my knee and have never looked back, I love it!

[thecord]

Firstly there are a couple of horribly discouraging comments in here, some people need to realise that not everyone here is playing top level cricket or on top level pitches!
Also I don't think it's true that you have to be the team cheer leader, you can be a top keeper and still be a quiet person. Somebody else who fields in the infield can do the shouting if that just isn't your thing.

The nature of the role does make it difficult to get a chance at times. I spent a long time at my club when younger pondering over whether to play 2nd team cricket and keep or to just bat in the 1's where the keeper was pretty much entrenched. In the end the other guy quit the sport fairly young so the slot opened up and have not looked back since. I do wish I had got the opportunity earlier though as didn't become a regular keep until I was about 18 or so.

Are there Sunday games/midweek fixtures you could keep in? Maybe in indoor team? If not then would you consider dropping down a team to give it a go? If these things aren't possible and you really want to become a keeper then you have two choices; wait or find somewhere else to play.

Good luck with it, it's another fantastic opportunity to buy even more lovely kit if nothing else 

[Simmy]

Yup!..I can't Imagine I'm the first to think "'kinell, he doesn't half move fast for a big lass..."

haha cheers lads i wasnt paticually good that game!

had a quality game at indoor yesterday i was da man! dont think i dropped one ball lol

[cricketbadger]

omg your my hero