After a classy half-century in England’s first dig, Matt Prior hit a brilliant 103 not out to steer England back into a position of dominance at Lord’s, leaving Ed Kemp to ponder whether the Sussex stumper is the best in his role in the world.
Four years ago Matt Prior struck an unbeaten 126 against West Indies on Test debut at Lord’s, leading to many to hail him as the next Alec Stewart. However, despite that wonderful start, he found himself out of the side within a year after a string of dropped catches, a lead role in the jellybean saga and some ill-advised chirps to opposition batsmen that were caught on the stump microphone.
He was a young man trying to impose himself on the England team and international cricket but perhaps going about it in the wrong way. After returning to the shires and working hard on his glovework with Bruce French, he returned to the England side a better and more mature player – ready for the cut and thrust of Test cricket.
In recent times he has been very tidy with the gloves, both to England’s seamers and to the prolific Graeme Swann, and his batting has got better and better. When he comes to the crease he looks confident and accomplished – the puffed out chest no longer empty bluster, but the imposing stance of a man genuinely comfortable in himself and his position in the team.
A stylish, positive player and a natural timer, Prior is at his best carving and guiding the ball through the offside – punishing even the tiniest suggestion of width with joyous reliability. But that’s not to say he’s one-dimensional. Despite a clear preference for the offside he scores his runs all round the wicket – coming down the track to the spinners and pulling and clipping through the legside. Coming in at No.7, his willingness to chase quick runs and hammer home England’s advantage has been a real asset to a side striving to become the best in the world. As at Lord’s on Sunday, his alert and aggressive running between the wickets is an example to any professional cricketer, and a stark contrast to that later exhibited by Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
Of the four tons he has made in the last year, two – his century against India and against Pakistan at Trent Bridge last July – have come after a dramatic top-order collapse. He has been able to come in, weather a storm of high quality quick bowling, dig in and rebuild. The latest of his Test match hundreds – his sixth – must go down as one of his best for the manner in which he saved a potentially disastrous situation before upping the tempo to race to a hundred and to a declaration which put England firmly back in charge of an enthralling contest.
Prior has had his travails in the one-day game and failed to find a method to succeed in that format. He may not get another chance and there are many fine limited-overs stumper-batsmen around the world: Brendon McCullum for New Zealand, Australia’s Brad Haddin, Kumar Sangakkara – who still takes the gloves in one-dayers for Sri Lanka – and MS Dhoni, India’s World Cup-winning captain. But how many of them can claim to rival Prior in Tests?
Haddin’s a fine batsman but far less reliable with the gloves, while McCullum and Sangakkara play as specialist batsmen in the longer form. That leaves Prior’s opposite number in this series – he who unstrapped the pads to bowl some half-useful medium-pace wobblers at Lord’s – as the major contender to the title of best Test wicketkeeper. But Dhoni, for all his success as skipper, hasn’t made a Test ton for 18 months. So, is Prior the undisputed king of the glovemen? On current form, it’s hard to argue against him.
And what effect might his splendid contributions have on the composition of the England team? It seems unlikely they’ll change their successful four-bowler set-up this summer, despite Eoin Morgan’s twin failures at Lord’s, but with Prior looking more than capable of taking the No.6 slot, might Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower be tempted to pick an extra spin option when they tour the sub-continent this winter? Conditions there can be punishing for a four-man attack and Prior’s form could persuade England’s brains trust to find room for Samit Patel.
For now, though, England can just be thankful that they have a gem of keeper who can justfiably lay claim to being the very best in the business.
Prior Lays Claim To Be World’s Best Keeper
After a classy half-century in England’s first dig, Matt Prior hit a brilliant 103 not out to steer England back into a position of dominance at Lord’s, leaving Ed Kemp to ponder whether the Sussex stumper is the best in his role in the world.
Four years ago Matt Prior struck an unbeaten 126 against West Indies on Test debut at Lord’s, leading to many to hail him as the next Alec Stewart. However, despite that wonderful start, he found himself out of the side within a year after a string of dropped catches, a lead role in the jellybean saga and some ill-advised chirps to opposition batsmen that were caught on the stump microphone.
He was a young man trying to impose himself on the England team and international cricket but perhaps going about it in the wrong way. After returning to the shires and working hard on his glovework with Bruce French, he returned to the England side a better and more mature player – ready for the cut and thrust of Test cricket.
In recent times he has been very tidy with the gloves, both to England’s seamers and to the prolific Graeme Swann, and his batting has got better and better. When he comes to the crease he looks confident and accomplished – the puffed out chest no longer empty bluster, but the imposing stance of a man genuinely comfortable in himself and his position in the team.
A stylish, positive player and a natural timer, Prior is at his best carving and guiding the ball through the offside – punishing even the tiniest suggestion of width with joyous reliability. But that’s not to say he’s one-dimensional. Despite a clear preference for the offside he scores his runs all round the wicket – coming down the track to the spinners and pulling and clipping through the legside. Coming in at No.7, his willingness to chase quick runs and hammer home England’s advantage has been a real asset to a side striving to become the best in the world. As at Lord’s on Sunday, his alert and aggressive running between the wickets is an example to any professional cricketer, and a stark contrast to that later exhibited by Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
Of the four tons he has made in the last year, two – his century against India and against Pakistan at Trent Bridge last July – have come after a dramatic top-order collapse. He has been able to come in, weather a storm of high quality quick bowling, dig in and rebuild. The latest of his Test match hundreds – his sixth – must go down as one of his best for the manner in which he saved a potentially disastrous situation before upping the tempo to race to a hundred and to a declaration which put England firmly back in charge of an enthralling contest.
Prior has had his travails in the one-day game and failed to find a method to succeed in that format. He may not get another chance and there are many fine limited-overs stumper-batsmen around the world: Brendon McCullum for New Zealand, Australia’s Brad Haddin, Kumar Sangakkara – who still takes the gloves in one-dayers for Sri Lanka – and MS Dhoni, India’s World Cup-winning captain. But how many of them can claim to rival Prior in Tests?
Haddin’s a fine batsman but far less reliable with the gloves, while McCullum and Sangakkara play as specialist batsmen in the longer form. That leaves Prior’s opposite number in this series – he who unstrapped the pads to bowl some half-useful medium-pace wobblers at Lord’s – as the major contender to the title of best Test wicketkeeper. But Dhoni, for all his success as skipper, hasn’t made a Test ton for 18 months. So, is Prior the undisputed king of the glovemen? On current form, it’s hard to argue against him.
And what effect might his splendid contributions have on the composition of the England team? It seems unlikely they’ll change their successful four-bowler set-up this summer, despite Eoin Morgan’s twin failures at Lord’s, but with Prior looking more than capable of taking the No.6 slot, might Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower be tempted to pick an extra spin option when they tour the sub-continent this winter? Conditions there can be punishing for a four-man attack and Prior’s form could persuade England’s brains trust to find room for Samit Patel.
For now, though, England can just be thankful that they have a gem of keeper who can justfiably lay claim to being the very best in the business.