Foster wins award for May

Geraint Jones may have both hands firmly on the England wicketkeeper's position at the moment, but James Foster is still doing his best to earn a re-call. After a recent run of impressive allround displays, he has been named as Essex's Player of the Month for May.

Foster, who has played seven Tests and 14 one-dayers for England, was presented with the award during Essex's National League match against Hampshire yesterday. He won the vote after scoring 449 runs and taking 22 catches and five stumpings during the month.

In that time, Foster, 24, also scored his first Championship century, against Leicestershire at Chelmsford, and he did it in style, making 212 in all. He also scored 104 later in the month against Somerset at Taunton.