Mustard battling for test place
Colonel
By Jon Steer
February 4 2008
Durham's Phil Mustard has got off to a mixed start in New Zealand. His keeping in the two warm up games has been excellent but he still has to impress with the bat if he is to win a spot in the test team ahead of Tim Ambrose. His next chance to impress is the first Twenty20 International on Tuesday.
England's coach Peter Moores has said that Mustard is likely to take the keepers gloves for the Twenty20 matches that start on Tuesday but that the competition for the test place is wide open.
Phil impressed in Sri Lanka with some excellent keeping performances and some good periods with the bat but failed to convert his starts into decent scores. While the hit and miss nature of the twenty20s are unlikely to decide his fate one way or another Phil will be under pressure to perform with the bat once the one day internationals start on Saturday.
Of course he will be expected to keep up his performances behind the stumps while striving to improve his form in front of them, such is the challenge of a present day England wicket keeper!
I've been reading reports of the warm up games and all of the journalists have praised Mustard's keeping.
His style of batting means he will give chances to the opposition. Sanath Jayasuriya is one of the all-time greats but his ODI average is relatively modest-33.
Mustard needs time to establish himself and I see no reason why he should not be given a chance in the test side. His domestic FC record is not great but if County averages were used to select players then the likes of Michael Vaughan & Marcus Trescothick would not have played for England. Neither would Colly. There are lots of players who average more at international level than domestic level.
I was watching an old 55 over a side Cup game on the TV the other day; David Gower was playing for Hampshire and his career average in the competition was under 30!!
Good point about the averages mind you.
I though consistency of selection was the idea-who ever gets the gloves for the test matches should be given a decent run in the side because there is no point in disgatding players after a few poor games.
I was reading a blog on The Guardian website written after todays game:
"Today, Phil Mustard was immaculate, especially dealing with leg-side wides (that figure of six could have been three times as many) and standing up to the medium-pacers. David Graveney said when the tour parties were announced that Mustard would keep in the one-dayers and Tim Ambrose in the Tests. But Graveney is no longer the chairman of selectors, and it's hard to imagine anyone keeping with such agility as Mustard did today. Sidebottom might not be keen to see him make way."
[blogs.guardian.co.uk]
Mustard did do well today-got the side off to a good start with the bat and then kept wicket brilliantly.
It's funy though that most journalists regarded Mustard as-at best-an average keeper but now they have changed their tune.
He was superb today with the bat, that opening partnership was ideal. That's two handy innings in two matches-a good performance in the 50 over games will surely be enough to get him into the test side.
Brilliant innings from Colly as well.