Matthew Prior can now claim to be the best wicketkeeper batsman in Test cricket. A dashing lower-order hitter and skilled wicketkeeper standing back, he is a crucial cog in the machine that led England up the rankings. Although now, with his starched attire and non-nonsense positivity, he cuts a similar figure to Alec Stewart, it took Prior a while to establish himself at international level. Early on there were wicketkeeping blunders and misplaced sledging that hampered his progress.

Prior moved to England from South Africa and represented England at all ages, up to and including Under-19s, making his Sussex debut in 2001. He was selected to tour Zimbabwe as part of England's one-day squad in November 2004 and played in just one match, striking 35. Prior made England's winter squads for Pakistan and India in 2005-06, but played mostly as a batsman in the ODIs and failed to make any real impact. He missed out on the Champions Trophy in October 2006, but he was named in the Academy squad to be stationed in Perth during the 2006-07 Ashes series.

Geraint Jones and Chris Read flunked their chances during England's shambolic Ashes campaign, which meant Prior was ready to step into the Test side and launch Peter Moores' period at the helm. He began in thrilling fashion, becoming the first England wicketkeeper to score a century on debut with an unbeaten 126 at Lord's, followed by 75 at Headingley, and England's wicketkeeper problem looked settled. No sooner was the position sorted, though, than things started going awry. He struggled against India and was a key protagonist in the jellybean fiasco that inspired Zahir Khan to bowl out England at Trent Bridge before a grim tour to Sri Lanka exposed deep flaws in his keeping. He was dropped for England's tour of New Zealand in 2008, with his old Sussex rival, Tim Ambrose, taking the gloves.

But Prior's extra batting class could not be ignored for long, and he returned to the side before the year was out, with his keeping vastly improved during his spell on the outside. He was one of the unsung heroes of England's Ashes triumph in 2009, providing momentum-shifting cameos at No. 6 in the order, and pulling off a series of impressive catches and stumpings. He bettered that effort on the subsequent tour of Australia in 2010-11, claiming 23 catches in the series including an Ashes-record-equalling six in the first innings at Melbourne, and concluded the series with his first hundred against Australia, at Sydney. He made 271 runs at 67.75 during England's 4-0 home triumph against India the following summer as both he and England reached a career high.
Will Luke