1:30pm Thursday 18th February 2010
By Bruce Talbot
The gloves are off in the battle to be England’s one-day wicketkeeper.
Sussex’s Matt Prior faces some serious competition from Craig Kieswetter but appears to be relishing the challenge.
Prior scored 33 off 22 balls but was outshone by his Somerset rival as England Lions beat the full England side in a Twenty20 warm-up in Dubai yesterday.
Kieswetter continued his excellent form with 81 off 66 balls after he was dropped on four as the Lions took 14 off the last over from Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright to secure a five-wicket win from the last ball as they chased a target of 158.
Like Prior, 22-year-old Kieswetter was born in South Africa and played for their under-19s before moving to Somerset four years ago. He only completed his residency qualification on Tuesday.
Kieswetter scored 31, 40 not out and 77 not out in three previous Twenty20 games for the Lions in Dubai against Pakistan A and UAE.
Coach Andy Flower must now decide whether to promote him to the full squad for two Twenty20 warm-ups against Pakistan on Friday and Sunday as England continue their preparations for the World Cup in April.
But Flower is clearly impressed by the former hockey player whose record suggests he could even play as a specialist batsman. Last season he averaged 48.76 in one-day cricket and scored 248 runs as Somerset lost in the Twenty20 final to Sussex.
He said: “Craig has had a really good start with the Lions and he is excited about the challenge of forcing his way in now he has qualified for England.
“This game was a good chance for him to impress and he played some powerful cricket.”
Kieswetter’s innings yesterday included nine fours and two sixes and he put on 100 for the first wicket with another South African Michael Lumb, who saw the Lions to victory with an unbeaten 58 from 35 balls including boundaries off the last two balls from Wright.
Wright (42) had earlier helped England score 45 off the last three overs to lift them to 157-6.
Prior initially upped the pace with 33 off 22 balls, including four boundaries and six, but it was Wright who ensured some respectability for England with a 21-ball knock that featured five fours and two huge sixes.
Lumb and Kieswetter, who was dropped at mid-off on just four by Stuart Broad, tore into the bowlers but Wright felt it was a good workout for the full side.
He said: “Ideally you want to win but we’ve all got to get rid of a few cobwebs.
“As a friendly goes it was brilliant for us because it was a close game. If you come to these games and just win then you don’t get a lot out of it.
“There are guys who want to come into this squad and guys who want to keep their place so it is going to be competitive.”
England will name their squad to face Pakistan, whose squad includes Sussex’s Yasir Arafat, later today.
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