Born in Devon, reared in Bristol and an England A tourist before he had played a first-class game, Read has established himself as the tidiest gloveman in English cricket, although like Jack Russell before him, such an accolade is no longer a guarantee of one's selection. A back-foot fighter with a productive whip-pull, he bats as high as No. 6 in the Nottinghamshire middle order, and was picked by England against New Zealand in 1999, infamously ducking into a Chris Cairns slower ball. He made the one-day team that winter in South Africa and, despite a below-par performance behind the stumps, showed composure with the bat, memorably mowing Shaun Pollock for six to reignite a run-chase. Read lost ground after his debut, dropping behind Paul Nixon and then James Foster in the race to become England's next keeper, but he was a more rounded player by the time Alec Stewart finally hung up his gloves in 2003. He duly returned to the top of the pile, and after an immaculate time behind the stumps in the Caribbean, he was controversially dropped in favour of Geraint Jones, the better batsman. Two months later, and Read had been axed from the one-day side as well, despite some combative performances low down the order. He remained on the fringes of the team, but having produced an impressive unbeaten 150 for England A against the Pakistanis in July 2006, he finally convinced the management that was due another chance. A brisk 55 in his comeback Test against Pakistan, in the 3rd Test at Headingley, demonstrated a cricketer with far greater confidence in himself than in his youth. Ina Duncan Fletcher-inspired see-saw, he was again left out for the 2006-07 Ashes before Jones's loss of form meant he was recalled for the last two Tests. But Nixon edged him out for the CB Series that followed, and the emergence of Peter Moores as Fletcher's successor and the selection of Matt Prior meant Read slipped gently down the list of keepers.
Lawrence Booth May 2007

NBC Denis Compton Award 1997

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