Prior faces biggest Test (From The Argus)

Prior faces biggest Test

10:10am Wednesday 8th July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Matt Prior was already an England cricketer when the Ashes were won during that memorable summer of 2005.

He had played his first one-day international the previous year in Zimbabwe but his dreams of taking part in an Ashes series, or even any Test series, were still no more than that.

When Kevin Pietersen was hammering the Aussies into submission at The Oval, Prior was preparing for a Totesport League match at Canterbury a few days later. But the memories of that unforgettable Monday remain as if it happened last week.

He said: “I felt so proud at that time just being a professional and involved in English cricket. We all watched the guys on that last day at The Oval and the bus around London in 2005 and what winning meant to the country.

“I had already played one game for England but wanting to be part of something like that in the future spurred me on massively. I’m sure it galvanised a lot of players who weren’t involved or who were on the fringes. I remember thinking I’d love to be part of something like that.”

Well now he is. Prior will play his 150th first-class game and 19th Test match today when England start their bid to regain the most coveted prize in cricket.

His road to Cardiff has not always been smooth. There have been some amazing highs – the debut hundred against West Indies in 2007 for instance – and periods when he thought he might not pull on the Three Lions again. After losing his place to former Sussex rival Tim Ambrose at the start of 2008 it was another 11 months before he was playing Test cricket again.

It is only in the last few months – coinciding with the formation of the Strauss-Flower axis as England’s new captain and coach – that Prior truly feels established in the set-up. There are still grumbles about his wicketkeeping although there is also a grudging acceptance that his glove work had improved, especially since he started working with former England stumper Bruce French last summer.

What has never been in question is Prior’s ability to make Test runs. He averages 48.40 but since regaining his place in India last November he has scored 503 in 11 innings at an average of just under 55 including his highest Test score, 131 against West Indies in March.

Prior had a stronger relationship with Flower’s predecessor Peter Moores than anyone else, which is hardly surprising given that they first worked together when Prior was 11 and had just arrived in England after growing up in South Africa. Life under Flower, though, is better he claims.

He said: “The feeling in the camp is fantastic. It’s the best England changing room I have been in without a shadow of a doubt and also the best fun.

“Whenever I go out I feel 100% backed by my team-mates. It gets rid of that insecurity that you sometimes have playing for England. You know that you can just concentrate on the most important thing – the next ball, whether you’re facing it or trying to catch it.

“There is real sense of togetherness, of what direction we want to go in as a side and that can be a powerful force.”

For Prior, the bar is about to be raised. Ten of his 18 Tests have been played against West Indies. He has yet to face Australia or South Africa, whom England visit this winter, but he insists his preparations have gone well. Playing three Championship games for Sussex during the Twenty20 World Cup allowed him to fine-tune his game and French joined him at Hove during the Somerset match to monitor his progress. There have been twice-daily gym sessions as well.

He said: “If you’re physically right you’re mentally right, I think there is a strong correlation between the two.

“The biggest series of my career is coming up and I haven’t left anything behind in terms of my preparation. Bruce French has been fantastic and I have seen real improvements in my game since I started working with him.”

If Prior feels technically that he is ready to cope with the added pressure of an Ashes series then what about the mental challenges? The scrutiny which is bound to intensify if he drops a catch and the Aussies will no doubt have one or two things to say during the heat of battle. For Prior there is excitement about what lies ahead, but also a sense of perspective. First-time fatherhood tends to do that.

He said: “Yes it’s a huge series but it’s still the same game, that doesn’t change. The bowlers bowl and the batters bat and I have learned that if you start regarding it as anything else you lose focus. I’m trying to keep everything in perspective.

“It’s always a good day when I go home and little JJ smiles at me. I’m passionate about being part of a successful side and when I started playing appearing in an Ashes series was a dream which is about to come true. But what I have learned in the last couple of years in particular is that as long as you have done your best and prepared well there is not a lot more you can do.”

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)