Colin Metson

Colin Metson was unfortunate in that he emerged as a superb wicketkeeper at the start of an era when being just a keeper was no longer enough - you had to bat as well. As a result, inferior keepers who made runs always edged him out. A former Durham University student, he began his county career as Paul Downton's understudy at Middlesex from 1981 until 1986. In 1987 he joined Glamorgan and immediately became their first-choice, and he worked on his batting to the extent that he became an obdurate tailender and specialist nightwatchman. In 1996 Metson lost his place to Adrian Shaw - inevitably on the strength of Shaw's batting - and he left the playing staff at the end of 1997. Jack Russell described Metson's keeping as "silently brilliant", and Dickie Bird rated him as "the best wicketkeeper I have seen in England since Alan Knott". He was just unfortunate to be born a generation too late.
Martin Williamson