Cow Corner Blog

Searching for Tom Byers

Tue May 20 01:53PM

Back in 1981 when there were only three television channels, people used to sit around on Friday evenings and watch Athletics (they did kids, honest).

The 1500m at the Bislett Games in Oslo went down in folklore when unheralded pacemaker Tom Byers went away like a hare and held on for victory despite a scintillating last lap from Steve Ovett.

Now we have a trend amongst England wicketkeepers who all start their careers at a frenetic pace like Tom Byers but sadly finish like Tom Sawyer.

England are still searching for the right man to succeed Alec Stewart and it seems like the Surrey gloveman's Stephen Hawking like voice is resonating in their brain just as they look to get established.

Everyone was thinking that Geraint Jones was the best thing to come out of Papua New Guinea since sugar cane after scoring a century in his third Test.

But sadly for the "Polynesian Gilchrist" that was the only time he reached three figures and as his average dropped under 25, he was discarded to admire his MBE from Canterbury.

Matt Prior was even quicker out of the blocks with a ton against West Indies in his first innings but on the tour of Sri Lanka, the only thing he looked likely to catch was Malaria.

And now we have Tim Ambrose who made 55 and 102 in two of his first three Test innings.

But at Lord's not only did he depart for a golden duck but his glovework was shoddy, conceding 16 byes with his footwork more Alec Bedser than Alec Stewart.

Of course the first player to be handed the gloves after the retirement of Stewart remains the best candidate.

Chris Read is now captain of Nottinghamshire and has started the season in fine style with 338 runs at 67.

But it seems the most embarrasing dismissal in the history of Test cricket when Read ducked a Chris Cairns slower ball continues to be at the forefront of the selectors' minds.

It was repeated during the numerous delays for bad light in London much to the delight of Chris as he sipped a nice cool beer in the stands.

- - -

The England team have arranged a private room with a big screen to watch the Champions League final.

"The dress code for the evening is to wear the shirt of who you're supporting on the night and hopefully there'll be plenty of them wearing red," explains Ryan Sidebottom whose old man Arnie played 16 games for Manchester United between 1972 and 1975 alongside such luminaries as George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.

But since the retirement of Stewart and Graham Thorpe, Chelsea fans amongst the England team are short on numbers but at least they have one (sort of).

As Sidebottom explains: "There aren't any real Chelsea fans in the squad although KP (Kevin Pietersen) reckons he supports Chelsea, but that's only because he's had a couple of freebies down there so I don't really think he knows what he's talking about."

Here's the football teams of the XI from Lord's:

Alastair Cook - ?
Andrew Strauss - ? (went to Radley College, must be a rugger man)
Michael Vaughan - Sheffield Wednesday
Kevin Pietersen - Chelsea-ish
Ian Bell - Aston Villa
Paul Collingwood - Sunderland
Tim Ambrose - Tottenham
Stuart Broad - Nottingham Forest
Ryan Sidebottom - Manchester United
Monty Panesar - Arsenal
Jimmy Anderson - Arsenal

- - -

TALKING POINT: Tim Ambrose - is he any good? And who does Alastair Cook support.

CRANKY SIMON HUGHES QUOTE OF THE DAY: "(Michael Vaughan) is the balm that soothes the irritation of the team's inconsistency, but also the iron will that will drive them on."

FEEDBACK COMMENT OF THE TEST: "the deteriation in the standard of tea at local cricket clubs is due in part to the lack of doddery old women that used to hang around the clubs with nothing better to do but strain the tea through nora batty type stockings. The modern Cricket widow is now typically under trained and part of the fast food culture, buying in from sainsburys to impress their friends as opposed to spending 3 solid weeks making 270 pots of rasberry jam and a cracking victoria sponge... its just my viewpoint and I could be wrong, but my grans stockings say different," the esteemed terrysmith2104 explains why onion bhajis have no place on a Saturday afternoon.

LIVE TODAY: Sussex were six down against Notts at lunch, that'll serve them right for playing too many Englishmen. Find out if they get over 100 with our live County Scorecards

Comments1 - 12 of 12

Let's give Mr Ambrose 10 tests. After that he must be sent on his way. Read is the only long term solution. He is the best keeper in the country and not a bad batter. It would be mad to change the team this close to the Ashes. Let's give him until after then.
From james_a_mcnair on Tue May 20 02:21PM
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ECB spend some money - ask alan knott, bob taylor and jack russell to conduct a week long camp for promising wicket keepers in the country - take their advice and BINGO you will have a keeper who will guard wickets like a (jack russell) terrier for the next ten years
From arviemail on Tue May 20 02:51PM
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Tim Ambrose = Spurs = bad keeping for England , I do think Chris Read should have been given more time, but in view of mine and Arvies newfound entente cordial, I agree completely with his sentiments.
Alistair cook cant afford to support anyone as he spends all of his spare cash on those letters from America
From terrysmith2104 on Tue May 20 03:17PM
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I have a sneaky suspicion Alistair Cook supports Newcastle.
With regards to our keeper crisis/problem, did we say we were going for a batsman who can keep wicket, or a wicket keeper who can bat?
It seems we are going for the batsman who keep wicket ok'ish and then lose there form with the bat. This surely is the problem, go for a better keeper!
From the_kop2003 on Tue May 20 03:57PM
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Ambrose any good? Er.....
When did we actually have a decent keeper for any length of time? Stewart wasn't the greatest keeper of all time, although he did improve over the years IMHO. He was a top-class batsman, though. Can you afford to pick a specialist keeper these days who can't bat? You should be able to,, if the top order do what they're paid to do. If so, then you should simply pick the best keeper, and that's Read. If not, then who is the best batsman that can keep a bit? I think it's still Read...
However, Ambrose is the man in possession, and should be given a fair chance.
From nickbroberts on Tue May 20 04:13PM
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Same old English disease - pick a fist class keeper - they have a job to do and that is to keep - batting should come second - please can we have Read back?
From carpenter1999 on Tue May 20 04:23PM
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Keepers should be able to bat a bit even if their primary job is with the gloves - like the immortal Alan Knott. Does Godfrey Evans still hold the test record for longest time to get off the mark? C'mon Cowers you claim to have been weaned on Wisden.
From james_ssmith on Tue May 20 05:22PM
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I can't believe selectors are not even looking at Chris Read, that's just ridi@#$%us. He is obviously best keeper in the country and probably better batsman than Tim Ambrose and Prior. The other point is that for test cricket you need your best keeper (not keeper batsman) because it's demanding and requires higher level of concentration
From yash_naik2005 on Tue May 20 05:25PM
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How many did Matt Prior score today and wasn't Tim Ambrose his deputy at Sussex? I rest my case!!
From cafeclemence on Tue May 20 05:29PM
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Why hasn't anyone mentioned James Foster? He was a cracking keeper and a reasonable bat. He's never been looked at since breaking his arm a few years ago.
From ian_m_jones1000 on Tue May 20 05:30PM
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where is cow today ? it is close to 2 pm ? hangover ?
From arviemail on Wed May 21 01:32PM
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COOOWWWW where are you ? Leave the bull to take some rest and COOOOOMMMMEEE here
From arviemail on Wed May 21 01:35PM
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