Full name Colin Peter Metson
Born July 2, 1963, Goff's Oak, Hertfordshire
Current age 46 years 132 days
Major teams Glamorgan, Middlesex, Wales Minor Counties
Batting style Right-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 | Ct | St | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-class | 232 | 304 | 71 | 4062 | 96 | 17.43 | 0 | 7 | 561 | 51 |
| List A | 234 | 132 | 52 | 943 | 30* | 11.78 | 0 | 0 | 227 | 63 |
| Mat | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-class | 232 | 6 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 0.00 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| List A | 234 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| First-class span | 1981 - 2001 |
| List A span | 1981 - 2004 |
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.
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