The former Australian wicketkeeper Darren Berry has slated England’s decision to select Jonny Bairstow as their gloveman instead of Ben Foakes for the first Ashes Test, calling the move “madness”.
In a series of tweets, Berry – who was regarded as a gifted keeper during his 153-game first-class career – waded into the debate over England’s wicketkeeping selection, praising Foakes as having “the best hands in England” before branding Bairstow’s performance with the gloves at Edgbaston as “horrible”.
Thinking of Ben Foakes right now. Best hands in England not being used 🤷♂️🙈 @SteveWorrall6 @BackStop130
— Darren Berry (@ChuckBerry1969) June 17, 2023
Bairstow missed a series of chances during Australia’s first innings at Edgbaston. He missed a stumping chance to Cameron Green off his second ball at the crease, the ball hitting the heel of his gloves and bouncing out, giving Green plenty of time to get back into his crease. He then dropped Alex Carey on 27, standing up to the stumps to Joe Root who found Carey’s outside edge.
The third drop of the innings came this morning (June 18 – day three), again off Carey. James Anderson managed to take the inside edge this time, with Bairstow wrong-footed and putting down a sharp one-handed chance.
There’s no debate over which of Bairstow and Foakes is the superior keeper, and Bairstow’s long injury lay-off means he is also short on time behind the stumps. While Bairstow was selected for his heroics with the bat last summer, Berry also pointed out Foakes’s pedigree with the bat.
“For those interested, Ben Foakes is the best keeper in England by the length of the Flemington straight and has scored Test match hundreds,” wrote Berry. “He also scored 124 for Surrey in a run chase victory last weekend. Go figure.”
For those interested Ben Foakes is the best keeper in England by the length of the Flemington straight and has scored Test match hundreds. He also scored 124 for Surrey in a run chase victory last weekend. Go figure 🤷♂️🙈 #madness
— Darren Berry (@ChuckBerry1969) June 18, 2023
As Berry noted, Foakes is in decent form with the bat, too. Just last week, he played a crucial part in Surrey’s monumental chase of 501 runs against Kent last week. He scored a century batting alongside Dom Sibley to ensure the runs were chased down on the final day. Bairstow himself scored a run-a-ball 78 in England’s first innings.
Even the sharp chance he took to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne on the morning of day two was not as impressive to Berry as it was to the untrained eye. He wrote: “Even the blinder he took diving to get Marnus didn’t hit the sweet spot, he was lucky to hold on.”
Yibberda yibberda that’s all FOAKES 🧤Bairstow seriously I know he can bat but at what cost 🤷♂️ he has been horrible
With the gloves. Even the blinder he took diving to get Marnus didn’t hit the sweet spot, he was lucky to hold on.— Darren Berry (@ChuckBerry1969) June 18, 2023
Much of the pre-series conversation on the debate fixated on the possibility of both featuring in the same side, squeezing Zak Crawley out of the side with a non-specialist opener partnership Ben Duckett up top.
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