Gloveman Foster aims to go bat to the future

Updated: 16:08 EST, 23 July 2008

The England wicketkeeping merry-go-round looks sure to claim another victim, with Tim Ambrose the latest to struggle with the unique demands of trying to fill the gloves vacated by Alec Stewart.

The man originally earmarked for the job, meanwhile, continues to quietly go about his business as the best keeper-batsman in the country.

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Keep on running: Essex keeper James Foster

James Foster, then 21, was selected in Stewart's place for the tours of India and New Zealand seven years ago and he might still have been the man in possession of what has become a poisoned chalice but for an accident that threw his career off track.

Foster, who will be one of the key men for Essex in Saturday's Twenty20 finals day at the Rose Bowl, was not wearing an armguard when he batted in the nets at Chelmsford early in 2002 and a ball from team-mate Andy Clarke broke his forearm.

Stewart was handed a reprieve and Foster, bar one Test in Melbourne in the Ashes series the following winter as Stewart's deputy, has not been seen at the highest level since. In the circumstances, he could be excused for wanting to throw darts at a picture of Clarke. He smiles at the thought.

'Funnily enough, I try not to think about that too often,' said Foster as he prepared for his opportunity on Saturday to show again what he can do on the big stage.

'It was just a bizarre moment. I don't regret batting without an armguard and I certainly don't blame Andy. I busted my arm; there are worse things that can happen on a cricket field. You just accept it and move on.'

England moved on by picking Chris Read when Stewart eventually called it a day five years ago. Since then a bewildering number of glovemen have failed to emulate one of England's greatest-ever allrounders and have inevitably suffered in comparison with Australia's Adam Gilchrist.

Pure keeping skills have been compromised as international teams seek someone who can not only catch a ball but, more importantly, score big runs.

Read was found wanting with the bat while others such as Geraint Jones and Matt Prior have also been tried and discarded at Test level, with Paul Nixon and Phil Mustard treated similarly in the one-day game.

Even if Ambrose survives when England name their squad on Saturday for the third Test next week at Edgbaston, he is on borrowed time.

The memory of his century in his second Test at Wellington in March is already fading and big runs must come soon. His keeping is solid rather than spectacular and his tendency to stand a little deep has implications for catches carrying to him and his slips.

If England wish to maintain their five-man attack and keep Andrew Flintoff at seven then Prior must be given another chance batting at six, which is too high for Ambrose. If they bring back Paul Collingwood and opt for a four-man attack then Foster, at the peak of his powers and keeping magnificently at 28, will again come into the frame.

Foster would relish the chance. 'I feel I'm a lot better cricketer in all aspects than when I played for England,' he said.

'I only had around 12 first-class matches under my belt when I was picked and at that stage all I really did was go out and play like I did at university, without thinking too much about my game. I'm a lot more at ease now, I know my strengths and weaknesses and I'm feeling in really good nick.

'I think my keeping has got better every year for the last four or five years, working with people like Nick Wilton and Bruce French, and it's a lovely feeling when you are confident about your game. You feel like you will catch every ball.

'I look back on England very fondly. I had a great time and you think it will last forever but it didn't and so far it hasn't come around again. That's a shame but the best chance for it to happen is if I carry on playing well for Essex.'

Work with Dave Houghton on the England Lions tour of India last winter has improved his one-day batting to the point where he is now a great improviser in the shorter game. But Foster knows it is big first-class runs that will get him back and yesterday he top scored for Essex with 57 against Gloucestershire.

For such a laid-back character he is very feisty behind the stumps, a legacy of his days playing tennis and hockey to a high standard. It first manifested itself when he became embroiled in a heated exchange with the now England batting coach Andy Flower during his one-day bow in Zimbabwe.

The pair have long since made that one up and went on to become friends and team-mates at Essex but Peter Moores, who likes his keepers to be combative, would have been impressed when Foster came out on top of a lively exchange with Yorkshire's Richard Pyrah during the Friends Provident Trophy semi-final.

'I've just got this aggressive little part of me that comes out from time to time but it's reasonably controlled,' smiled Foster.

'Saturday will be the chance to show what I can do and hopefully it will lead to another big stage like the Champions League. A couple of lesser-known Australians have come to prominence on the back of playing in the IPL and I just want to have as many chances as possible to impress the selectors. Twenty20 day is like a shop window for my international aspirations.'

SCOUTING REPORT - WILL SMITH (DURHAM)

He's one of the Men in Black! Why are we featuring him?

Well, this Man in Black propelled Durham into Twenty20 finals day with the crucial innings in their victory over Glamorgan. He will be a key men as they fly the flag for the north in their semi-final against Middlesex on Saturday.

No, not that Will Smith

Would he say 'I am Legend' if he proves to be the match-winner? Would he consider himself 'The Greatest?' if he takes Durham to the Champions League? Would he even get 'jiggy' with it?

Steady. That's enough of the other Will Smith. This one has become one of the many county performers who are making a name for themselves thanks to the Twenty20 revolution this season. To overnight sensations such as Graham Napier and Dawid Malan, we can now add this 25-year-old from Luton.

Is he very much a one-day player then?

Not at all. Smith scored only the seventh double hundred in Durham's 17 first-class seasons against Surrey last week. He can score quickly and slowly.

How did a man of Luton and
Bedford School end up in the
north-east?

Young Will was at university in Durham but ended up at Notts. Eyebrows were raised at Trent Bridge when he said he was leaving at the end of the 2006 season. He was pining for Durham, apparently.

Yes, that Will Smith

A breath of fresh air at Chesterle- Street then, rather than the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?

If you insist, although our Will, who is known as 'Jiggy' to his team-mates, may not love Durham that much after all. He is out of contract at the end of the season and his representatives emailed yesterday saying that several counties are interested.

Saturday will be interesting then, when he puts himself in the shop window.

I can't wait.

BUMBLE'S WORLD - What got David Lloyd's goat this week and what put a smile on his face. . .

THE GOOD

It was great to be at the Twenty20 quarter-final at Durham between the Dynamos and Glamorgan Dragons. What struck me was that it is a great stadium at Chester-le-Street: clean, tidy, vibrant and friendly - Headingley take note!

With all the jostling for position between the Test match grounds this, for me, is the market leader. They also have a great pitch and I saw a fast bowler who looked fit, strong, menacing and seriously fast.

Bumble: David Lloyd

I looked up his stats for the season and found that he has taken 41 Championship wickets, 25 of which are top-six batsmen. This is way ahead of the competition.

The guy now knows that you have to bowl to get fit and he is actually enjoying his work. Watch out for him. His name is Steve Harmison.

THE BAD

Confused.com is a website that the England selectors have obviously found.

Confused that Tim Ambrose is a No 6; confused about whether Andrew Flintoff is an all-rounder; confused about whether the same fella is a shock bowler or a stock bowler; and so confused that they picked Darren Pattinson at 29 years of age with just six matches in England under his belt.

I have no problem with Pattinson at all but a big problem with the selection process. Who drove this through?

Before the game, Michael Vaughan said that he did not know Pattinson but may have played against him in a Twenty20 match.

After the game, Peter Moores implied that the captain wanted a pitch-up, swing bowler, i.e. Pattinson. Everyone is now in the dark about who was actually the principal in this bizarre selection.

Nothing wrong in my book in one of the remaining three selectors - Geoff Miller, James Whitaker or Ashley Giles - putting their hand up and saying, 'it was me, guv'.

Given that Giles operates in Division Two of the Championship with Warwickshire, we can narrow it down to Whitaker or Miller.

Send for Poirot!