ROLL REVERSAL

As you are all aware by now, Matty Wade bowled a respectable over before the tea-eon adjournment yesterday. (Surprised I have not heard any criticism that Michael Clarke had run out of ideas, or that Matty Wade is possibly a better bowler than he is a keeper. Oh, wait.) You are probably also aware the only other Australian keeper to have had a roll was Rod Marsh. Other recent keepers to perform the feat are Boucher, Taibu and Dhoni. So, all in all, keepers having a bowl is not common, but nor is it unheard of:

Matthew Wade swaps ends to join select few keeper-bowlers

AUSTRALIAN wicketkeeper Matthew Wade completed a rare Test cricket feat when he was called on to bowl against Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval yesterday.

It was the first time an Australian wicketkeeper has bowled in a Test since Rod Marsh did so at the MCG in 1983.

It is believed Marsh is the only other Australian gloveman to have done so.

What I would like to know is the reverse roll reversal? How many Test bowlers have have donned the gloves and had a keep?

Comments

[Cameron]

'If he'd just score some runs (or take some some wickets) he'd be an all-rounder' is an oldie but a goodie.

[@TKYC]

Media and cricket fans must be hard-up for an entertaining story if a keeper bowling is such big news.

[Tony Tea]

Yes, but bowlers keeping? That's my hot button item.

[@tkyc]

I don't recall headlines back in the late 80's about Boonie: "Short fat bloke fields at silly mid on!"

[Professor Rosseforp]

As usual, when emergency keepers are mentioned, I mention Graham Yallop, who kept wicket briefly in a test, and had also bowled for Australia (1/116 career figures) -- but he was certainly not a bowler as such. Billy Murdoch is apparently the only stand-in Australian keeper to take a catch (1876/7 in a match that was designated as a test retrospectively) -- he bowled in first class matches, but not at test level.
I suspect this non-use of bowlers as keepers relates to previous discussions as to why batsmen end up in slips and bowlers get sent to the outfield.
Slippers can argue that they are the next best thing to a keeper, so will have the pads on before the bowlers even know what's happening.

[Tony Tea]

When I started playing cricket for Tooronga in 1989 I was a bowler and a batsman, but at a tea break late in the season the captain spotted my keeping pads in a kit bag, asked whose they were, and when I said they were mine he asked me if I wanted to keep for the rest of the day.

I stayed keeper for the rest of my time at the club, until I was promoted to the first XI for my last game at the club the following year. The keeping spot was already taken, so I was back in the field and dropped a couple of sitters. Those sitters have really nagged at me these last 20+ years, but a couple of months ago it hit me - after wearing gloves for two years I had forgotten how to catch. Instead of snaffling the ball I just let it hit my hands expecting it to stick in my gloves.