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[joeylough]

I think it is a great signing for Lancs and Jos.

For lancs it gives an inventive one day player. we have always been missing that extra bit in the one day format to get us that bloody trophy.

For jos it gives him a chance to get game time in the longer format to hone his skills for both keeping and staying in to bat. 

[Nickauger]

Totally agree Nick. I think Kieswetter, although not quite as inventive as Jos is far more consistent and a much better keeper imho. PLus he's only 2 years older. Jos will be missing for over half the season at least. Great business by Somerset.

Agreed, Kieswetter has rarely failed this season in the shorter form, giving Somerset a great start along with Trego. Is also a much better FC batsman. I wish Jos well, and would have liked to keep him, but in a trade off between the 2, as a Someret fan, I'm much happier to keep Kieswetter

[A-Swing-And-A-Miss]

Kieswetter is definitely not the weaker of the 2. Hes 10 times the player jos is. There's a damn good reason why he didnt play more for somerset this season. Just not good enough. Coming off 1 in 5 is not good enough!

Buttler is always put in down the order and has to hit from the start virtually every game. That's why he doesn't score as regularly as Bedwetter. If you gave them both the same opportunities then you would see that Buttler is by far the better batsman and also the better keeper. Bedwetter struggles to catch a cold while Buttler took 25 catches for England this summer. Only a die-hard Somerset fan could possibly say that Kieswetter is better...

[petehosk]

I do rate Bedwetter and think he's a decent keeper / batsman! But Buttler does tend to come into bat when there is already pressure on. I am the same, and do think that Buttler is as good, if not better than Bedwetter.
Plus I am 90% sure that Buttler will get better and better as he goes!

[Nickauger]

Kieswetter is the better keeper undoubtedly. There's good reason why he's kept all season, Butler hasn't held the club to ransom, and has left amicably, therefore why would Somerset not just pick the best keeper. And I disagree about the pressure.... how can you say that opening the innings is not pressure. I bet if you looked at their stats, Kieswetter scored more runs, at a higher average, and an equal strike rate. Butler's good, but not that good, and as your point says, pretty much wasted at Somerset where the top 5 are so good in One day cricket! Good luck to him, and hopefully he gets the opportunity to bat in the top 5, and meet his undoubted talent, but it was never going to be at Somerset!

[Bulldog Cricket]

I'm no expert on wicket keeping as I guess is no one else on here but I would take Andy Flowers judgement as being good enough being a very fine wicket keeper batsman himself. He and the England selectors rate Buttler better than anyone else in the country in one day cricket. I take his judgement over anyone at Somerset.

Great signing for Lancs. Sad day for Somerset.

[jamesisapayne]

I'm no expert on wicket keeping as I guess is no one else on here but I would take Andy Flowers judgement as being good enough being a very fine wicket keeper batsman himself. He and the England selectors rate Buttler better than anyone else in the country in one day cricket. I take his judgement over anyone at Somerset.

Great signing for Lancs. Sad day for Somerset.

I don't think the keeping bit is the issue for England Kieron and I'm sure Andy flower rates kieswetters glove work just as highly. It's the fact that Jos can come in at 6 and take the game away that means he gets the nod over Craig, who normally bats in the top 3 = competition from pietersen/root/trott/carbery et all.

[the little ripper]

perhaps peter moores was an influence having been a gloveman himself

[Alvaro]

The main difference to me seems to be Buttler's ability to score singles as well as the big shots.

[jwebber86]

its a shame that Somerset couldn't keep as he will undoubtedly become one of the best one day batsmen England has ever had.

from Somerset's point of view they know that kieswetter will be around all season and give them a very reliable keep who will be there for a while and i think will probably end up being captain at some point at lest in one day cricket

[moonball]

I never rated Cross. I was at the Lancs vs. Leics game when Alex Davies batted and kept well. A great young prospect. With Lancs building their squad, mainly from home grown talent, Mike Watkinson suggested (yes, name dropping) at that game that they were looking at bringing in some talent and wow - what a signing. His keeping and batting will improve by being first choice and playing four day (proper!) cricket.   

[Nickauger]

I genuinely don't believe that Butler is better than Kieswetter, or Davies, but he does have the same advantage as Bairstow in being a lower order player! Davies and Kieswetter are talents for sure, but the competition for places in the top 3 is huge. THey won't get close, over Trott and Cook, and yes England need some-one inventive down the order to play the finishing role! That isn't either player's game, and Butler fits the mould better. However, in a team that contains Trescothick, Kieswetter, AN Overseas, Trego, and Hidreth, he isn't going to be needed as often, therefore has less of an impact in that team. He needed to go, and I'm happy for him. Would have been good to keep them both but his stock was dwindling, not getting a bat every week, and people were starting to call him out on being a one trick pony, which isn't overly fair..... his knock against Gloucestershire when he was 40 off 50 before accelerating to get 60* off 59 was special.

[Manormanic]

Buttler is a guy with incredible potential but as of today someone who has done relatively little beyond some eye catchingly muscular late order innings in the hit and giggle stuff.  You can sort of see why Zummerzet were reluctant to give him priority over Bedwetter, who had done pretty well for them in first class cricket over the last four years and who looks the better long form batsman and keeper of the two at this stage - and, given that neither is of anything like a vintage, possibly going forward.  As such, this was probably inevitable - and the move to Lancashire with either be the making or breaking of the lad. 

[Nickauger]

Buttler is a guy with incredible potential but as of today someone who has done relatively little beyond some eye catchingly muscular late order innings in the hit and giggle stuff.  You can sort of see why Zummerzet were reluctant to give him priority over Bedwetter, who had done pretty well for them in first class cricket over the last four years and who looks the better long form batsman and keeper of the two at this stage - and, given that neither is of anything like a vintage, possibly going forward.  As such, this was probably inevitable - and the move to Lancashire with either be the making or breaking of the lad.

Agree 100% apart from the bit about neither being particularly good or 'vintage'. Kieswetter is in the top 5 of keepers in the country IMBO, alongside Prior, Read, Foster, Davies.

[Byo]

From what I hear Nosworthy rates Kieswetter very highly, and is looking to build the team around him going forward.  If that is the case then letting Buttler go was almost inevitable...