SA Test Team - positions 3 to 7

Last nights post about the opening positions also covers the rest of the batting line up. If Prince opens then the rest will remain the same with Amla, Kallis, AB and Duminy falling into line and making a damn formidable top 6. If Amla opens, which I can't see happening but secretly think wouldn't be a bad option, then everyone moves up with Prince slotting in at 5 or 6.

Which brings us to...

The Keeper

Boucher is a legend. He's been fantastic for the team and has dug us out of many a hole. But he's not getting any younger and these days his batting in tests flits between "just about acceptable" and "Mike Hussey bad". Every now and then he'll put together a gritty and important knock, but that would be followed by half a dozen scores of under 30.

When Polly was around there wasn't as much pressure on Boucher's batting, but with Harris or Morne coming in at 8, this is definitely a weak spot in the team.

But who would replace him? With AB saying that he doesn't want to keep, surely Boucher's long term successor must be Heino Kuhn. He averages over 40 in domestic cricket and is handy enough behind the stumps. At 25 he's got enough experience to start to make the step up and proved as much by being one of the best players in the Emerging Players tournament a month or two ago.

I'd like to see him slowly being brought into the fold with the view to take over at the start of the 2010/11 season in tests. I have a feeling that Bouch is pretty much undroppable though, and it will be on him to hand over the gloves.

Polly played on a bit too long in test cricket. Hopefully Bouch will take note and bow out at the top.