Top 5 wicketkeepers from Australia
Keeping wickets is probably, the most demanding and challenging role in the game of cricket. The role requires a special skill and is something that can't be donned by anyone. A wicket-keeper always needs to on his toes so as to grab each and every opportunity that comes his way. It also requires immense physical stamina, especially in the longer formats, as the keepers stay in the squatted position for most of the game.
Over the years, the game of cricket has witnessed some of the greatest wicket-keepers who have buckets for hands and arms swifter than robots. Australia too has been supplying the sport with quality keepers who never let the batsmen breathe easily.
Let's take a look at 5 of the top wicket-keepers from the land of Kangaroo.
#5 Wally Grout
Wallace Grout was an Australian cricketer who hailed from the state of Queensland. He was a talented wicket-keeper and managed the role for both his state team and the national side. Interestingly, Grout set a world record by taking 8 catches in an innings in a Sheffield Shield game against Western Australia in 1960.
Grout was a swift mover behind the stumps who made life tough for the batsmen. He was agile, acrobatic, and rarely let anything go through his hands. In fact, Grout was hailed by Sir Don Bradman as one of the finest wicket-keepers of all-time.
Rob Simpson, too, stated that Grout was the greatest keeper he ever saw.
Grout played 183 first-class games for Queensland and ended up with 473 catches and 114 stumpings to his name. He debuted for Australia in 1957 against South Africa during which he took a record 6 catches in an innings.
The right-handed batsman went to play in 51 Test matches, and has 187 dismissals to his credit with 163 of them catches and the remaining 24 stumpings.