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Full name Christopher Mark Wells Read
Born August 10, 1978, Paignton, Devon
Current age 30 years 64 days
Major teams England, Devon, Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire
Nickname Reados
Batting style Right-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Height 5 ft 8 in
Education Torquay Boys' Grammar School, University of Bath, Loughborough University

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

360

18.94

912

39.47

ODIs

300

30*

17.64

410

73.17

T20Is

13.00

118.18

First-class

206

306

8552

240

33.40

601

List A

236

188

3951

135

28.22

240

Twenty20

655

48*

25.19

534

122.65

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

ODIs

T20Is

First-class

206

5.86

List A

236

Twenty20

Career statistics

Test debut

England v New Zealand at Birmingham, Jul 1-3, 1999 scorecard

Last Test

Australia v England at Sydney, Jan 2-5, 2007 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut

South Africa v England at Bloemfontein, Jan 23, 2000 scorecard

Last ODI

England v West Indies at Ahmedabad, Oct 28, 2006 scorecard

ODI statistics

Only T20I

England v Pakistan at Bristol, Aug 28, 2006 scorecard

T20I statistics

First-class debut

1997/98

Last First-class

Nottinghamshire v Hampshire at Nottingham, Sep 24-27, 2008 scorecard

List A debut

1995

Last List A

Nottinghamshire v Sussex at Nottingham, Sep 14, 2008 scorecard

Twenty20 debut

Nottinghamshire v Durham at Nottingham, Jul 2, 2004 scorecard

Last Twenty20

Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire at Nottingham, Jun 27, 2008 scorecard

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

Sep 27, 2008

Liam Dawson's maiden first-class hundred ended Nottinghamshire's title hopes © Getty Images

Sep 27, 2008

Chris Read contemplates Nottinghamshire's lost opportunity © Getty Images

Sep 14, 2008

Chris Read has to go at full stretch to reach the ball © Getty Images

View the full list of 90 related images