Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Hardest week of my life - Prior


England wicket-keeper Matt Prior has admitted his torrid time during the recent Oval Test has been the hardest week in his career so far.

Prior dropped two catches and scored a duck against India in a draw which saw the tourists seal a 1-0 series win.

He told BBC Sport: "This week has been the hardest week in my cricketing life, without a shadow of a doubt.

"My performance has been criticised but I am still learning. Mistakes do happen - we're all human."

In his BBC Sport column, Prior continued: "I am still new to Test cricket but there are always things you can work on, improve on in your game.

"I am my own biggest critic and I'll work very hard with [England coaches] Peter Moores and Andy Flower and any other people I can to make sure I do make improvements.

"But I don't feel I have to suddenly criticise or scrutinise myself massively."

Prior made his Test debut in the first Test of the summer at Lord's, when he became the first England wicket-keeper to score a century on debut.

He was a major factor in the 3-0 series win over West Indies, but struggled against India in the series lost on Monday - the first England had conceded on home soil since 2001.

Against India, he scored 73 in six innings, with a best of 42.

But it was his drop of Sachin Tendulkar on 20 at The Oval - the Indian master batsman went on to make 82 - that was seized upon by critics.

the following day, Prior attempted to get a glove to a catch flying towards first slip, but just diverted it away from Andrew Strauss.

Up until then, though, his glovework had been sound enough - he took five catches in an innings against India at Trent Bridge.

He was pleased by the team role he played in India's second innings and in helping England bat out for a draw.

"I want to have that feeling of getting a hundred again, to take five catches again but then I get a nought and drop a high-profile player like Tendulkar," he admitted.

"You're not going to every day walk out and feel a million dollars.

"But I came off the pitch really happy on day four with the way I was as a person and as a team-mate.

"I was still giving plenty of energy to my team-mates and to the bowlers.

"I had to prove to myself that when you have your rough times, all you can do is get your head down and fight hard.

"That innings of 12 not off 60-odd balls at the end of the match wasn't my most fluent or pretty, but it was a battle.

"I'll take a lot from the fact that I did get through it."

Source: BBC Sport

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