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[ppccopener]

Chris Read hangs up his gloves at the end of this season and along with Foster has got to be the outstanding keeper of the last decade in this Country anyway...

We will never know if England had been more successful with a specialist keeper in place since we went down the route of keeper batsmen and essentially played an all rounder in that position after jack Russell.

Having seen Read at the mcc v row game it's mad how easy proper keepers make it look, having seen jack Russell stand up to Courtney Walsh (yes really) the skills are amazing.

Anyway retirement comes to everyone and this guy has been simply brilliant.

For those wondering if I'm qualified to comment on wicket keeping I was once given the gloves in a league game for Arundel with the following said:

'Marco(not my name), listen Adam has turned up still drunk from last night and is throwing up in the changing room we want you to take the gloves'

'You will need to stand a pitch and a half back for bungalow(nothing upstairs) he's opening the bowling and digs it in'

[Sivlar13]

Great keeper mate, there is absolutely no doubt. What a career he has had, shame he didn't play more for England but he has definitely got better with age.

Still hold strong that Michael Bates is the best keeper of this generation! Can't believe he hasn't still got a pro contract.

[beaver5]

I've never understood why Chris Read got such a raw deal by England. I think he's probably the best keeper since Russell, although Foster probably equally as good. He's also been a very consistent batsman in county div 1 and one day cricket. He's also shown himself to be a strong character and good captain. I'd have had him over Prior/Jones or any of the current batsman/keeper any day.

[Buzz]

This is from when Chris Read was in the eng U19s.
You can add Graeme Swann and Graeme Napier to this team too...



I was unlikely not to make the team...!

[Biggie Smalls]

This is from when Chris Read was in the eng U19s.
You can add Graeme Swann and Graeme Napier to this team too...



I was unlikely not to make the team...!

' unlikely' ....you meant 'unlucky' , right ? ....but then you had a Freudian Slip moment !?!

[FattusCattus]

Cor! - how many of those faces can you name?

[ppccopener]

read,broad, alex tudor(met him lovely bloke-still QUICK my hands are still hurting, oasis shah, Sidebottom,flintoff......

ben holliake(rip) sadly gone so young and so much potential

[Buzz]

The pic was from the u19 tour to Pakistan in 1996/7. Quality players on both sides.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/series/327082.html

[Seniorplayer]

I've never understood why Chris Read got such a raw deal by England. I think he's probably the best keeper since Russell, although Foster probably equally as good. He's also been a very consistent batsman in county div 1 and one day cricket. He's also shown himself to be a strong character and good captain. I'd have had him over Prior/Jones or any of the current batsman/keeper any day.

Tidiest gloveman in English cricket played for England A before playing a first class match but being a perfectionist with the gloves wasn't enough

[Buzz]

Read wasn't the glove man in the above team it was Nash!
Apparently the photo above is from the u19s vs Zimbabwe as hove.

[Manormanic]

Although he has done well against Yorkshire over the years, and is therefore a thorn I am quite glad to have out of our side, I shall miss Read.

He was a very good gloveman - behind James Foster and Mark Wallace in the county game by a hairs bredth in an elite of three that lasted almost unchallenged for 15 years.  What really set him apart, for me, was the grit he demonstrated when Notts were under the cosh - he was a real streetfighter with the bat - not a huge amount of technique, but he made absolutely everything of it and refused to quit.

Was he unlucky not to play more for England?  I'm going to be controversial and say not really - Foster was much more unfortunate.  But that doesn't detract from the retirement of a county great.

[ppccopener]

Although he has done well against Yorkshire over the years, and is therefore a thorn I am quite glad to have out of our side, I shall miss Read.

He was a very good gloveman - behind James Foster and Mark Wallace in the county game by a hairs bredth in an elite of three that lasted almost unchallenged for 15 years.  What really set him apart, for me, was the grit he demonstrated when Notts were under the cosh - he was a real streetfighter with the bat - not a huge amount of technique, but he made absolutely everything of it and refused to quit.

Was he unlucky not to play more for England?  I'm going to be controversial and say not really - Foster was much more unfortunate.  But that doesn't detract from the retirement of a county great.

hmmm!! foster and read pretty close as pure 'keepers.....both absolute class.

I suppose if you think about the 'allrounder' position only Alex Stewart has really been outstanding for England. Matt Prior was a very good bat but keeping wise not in Stewarts class.

it's an interesting debate, that position has changed for good now so much so it's turned right round isn't that right @Manormanic ?

Bairstow is one of the best bats in the Country, and get's in on batting ability alone.He just happens to be our keeper as well.

[ch1p]

Will miss Read, those two stumpings off Ajmal at the MCC Vs ROW were really class and he has no doubt done even more over his career.

Should he have played for England more? Potentially but no IMO. Prior did enough with gloves to keep his spot and was only replaced by youthful Bairstow and Buttler.

From what ive read and heard, Foster was a bit of a loon when he was around the England set up, turning up late for team meetings etc etc hence the reason he fell foul.

And another one that has been mentioned is Bates! Apparently he is now coaching somewhere? To hear he is now not even with a minor county is staggering, he was quality for Hampshire a few years ago and up there with Foster and Read.

Such a shame these quality glovemen are getting turned away due to holding the wrong end of the bat... but that's for another discussion

[ppccopener]

Will miss Read, those two stumpings off Ajmal at the MCC Vs ROW were really class and he has no doubt done even more over his career.

Should he have played for England more? Potentially but no IMO. Prior did enough with gloves to keep his spot and was only replaced by youthful Bairstow and Buttler.

From what ive read and heard, Foster was a bit of a loon when he was around the England set up, turning up late for team meetings etc etc hence the reason he fell foul.

And another one that has been mentioned is Bates! Apparently he is now coaching somewhere? To hear he is now not even with a minor county is staggering, he was quality for Hampshire a few years ago and up there with Foster and Read.

Such a shame these quality glovemen are getting turned away due to holding the wrong end of the bat... but that's for another discussion

yes I was there at the MCC game that was the first time ive really appreciated seeing a proper keeper for a long time. Ajmal was unplayable so they took him off to make a game of it. Pieterson had no idea which way it was going, neither did anyone else apart from Read.

Read was lightening quick, blink and it's all over. Really great to see live that was.

Bates has been mentioned a few times on here by the Hampshire fans @WalkingWicket37 . It's a real shame these guys are being squeezed out.

Jack Russell is grew up watching for England, had to believe there's been anyone better, yet some older members of my club will say Alan Knott is on a different level again.

Worth remembering in Knott's day a lot of the wickets were uncovered....so the skills needed may of been on a higher level(more turn, more bounce possibly)

[Manormanic]

hmmm!! foster and read pretty close as pure 'keepers.....both absolute class.

I suppose if you think about the 'allrounder' position only Alex Stewart has really been outstanding for England. Matt Prior was a very good bat but keeping wise not in Stewarts class.

it's an interesting debate, that position has changed for good now so much so it's turned right round isn't that right @Manormanic ?

Bairstow is one of the best bats in the Country, and get's in on batting ability alone.He just happens to be our keeper as well.

I think you have it right there - the consideration appears to be selecting the best bet with the bat and training them up as keepers - Prior improved massively with the gloves within the England set up, and YJB has done similar.  Before anyone accuses me of being one-eyed about that last statment, I'm saying he has gotten better, not that he is anywhere near the class of even a mid level specialist keeper.

The only difference I would identify between Foster and Read as keepers, by the way, is an issue of concentration.  You'd hear of Fozzie missing a chance maybe once a season, whereas Read did grass quite a few when he let his mind wander.  I remember a howler to let Adam Lyth off a few years back that cost Notts over 100 runs.