The gloves are off: Chris Read bows out and is James Foster set to follow? | The Spin


Arguably the two finest wicketkeepers of their generation, yet neither could forge a consistent England Test career in an era dominated by the theory that keepers also needed to be matchwinning batsmen

They gave Chris Read an honour guard the week before last, and a standing ovation too. He still has two more games to play, but they’re both away, one at Northampton and the other at Hove. So this particular innings, against Worcestershire, was his last at Trent Bridge, which has been his home ground for 19 years now. Typically, Read didn’t much care for the fanfare: “Does anyone?” he asked afterwards. “I was just desperate not to get out first ball, I’d have felt a right prat.”

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