Prior ruled out of World Twenty20

11-24 September 2007

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WORLD TWENTY20, Durban:
New Zealand v England
Match starts at 0900 BST on Tuesday

England wicket-keeper Matt Prior will miss the rest of the World Twenty20 after breaking his thumb.

The Sussex man took a bang on his hand in the nets during Monday's training session ahead of Tuesday's match against New Zealand in Durban.

He was taken to hospital for an X-ray which revealed a right thumb fracture.

Vikram Solanki took the gloves in training but a wicket-keeper for the match will not be named until the morning of the Black Caps game.

England will call up a replacement in due course.

England's top order batting already looked likely to be changed as they have lost wickets in the first six overs of each game so far.

Domestic Twenty20 specialist Luke Wright is one of the prime candidates for the axe, having scored just three runs in his three innings so far, facing 11 balls.

Collingwood has hinted that Wright can still emerge as a success in the tournament but has acknowledged that his team must improve at the start of their innings.

"He's a very talented kid," said the England skipper. "He's got the ability once he gets in, he just hasn't got in at the moment and he needs to give himself a chance to get in.

"He'll learn quickly from these type of experiences but our starts are an area we will have to have a look at."

The England captain is looking for a definite improvement in the standard of fielding in Durban following his team's 19-run defeat to South Africa in Cape Town on Sunday.

Collingwood said: "The areas where we're off the pace at the moment is our fielding and our catching especially, and that's disappointing."

New Zealand won their opening Super Eight game, defeating India by 10 runs.

And Black Caps all-rounder Scott Styris is hopeful of defeating England - and in the process eliminating Collingwood's team from the tournament.

"I don't think it matters what sport it is, everyone likes to see England going home early," said Styris.

"But we're not thinking about it like that. We're thinking that if we win we're a long way towards qualifying for the semi-finals."

Styris said that neutralising the threat of Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff was the key to his team's hopes of victory.

"I don't think you target anyone, but in any form of the game you are aware that teams have match-winners and key players," he added.

"In England's case they're the Pietersens and the Flintoffs. You know that if you get those guys out for a cheap score you've every chance of winning. We know they're their danger players."

Source: BBC Sport