Prior focuses on Sussex role
Matt Prior was named in England's 26-man Performance Squad this week, showing that he is not far from the selectors' thoughts despite being dropped for the New Zealand tour
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"It's a weird one because of course you are absolutely delighted to be part of it [the Performance Squad]," Prior told Cricinfo. "To be named in any squad with England is an honour and it does give you that boost and a bit of extra confidence. But it isn't going to change the way I'm thinking right now or anything about the way I'm going to play. I'm playing for Sussex, I want to perform for them and my focus is winning games for Sussex."
Prior's first two Championship innings of the season have brought a positive 62 at The Rose Bowl and 105 against Kent, his first century since the 126 he made on Test debut against West Indies at Lord's nearly a year ago and he rates it as one of the most pleasing he has made. "It was quite a tricky wicket to bat on [against Kent] and I think that's probably my hardest-fought county hundred," he said.
"I've played some pretty good innings in the past year when I was playing for England in tricky places like Sri Lanka. I still feel I have put in some good batting performances and my average have been pretty good. It isn't something that has played on my mind, I knew that if I just kept working that the century would arrive."
However, it wasn't his batting that cost him his England place. His Test average is 40 and he played a couple of impressive innings in Sri Lanka, but behind the stumps he spilled too many chances. He is constantly working on his keeping and with that objective in mind the arrival of Alec Stewart, Prior's manager and mentor, as a part-time coach at Hove has delighted him. "He's been fantastic, not only for myself over the last few years but for him to come down to work with the lads has been amazing. There isn't one player here who hasn't felt his influence and long may it continue."
Even with Stewart's influence, though, Prior's route back to the international scene may come from a slightly different path. Before the season he talked about giving up the keeping gloves and concentrating purely on his batting and it's still an idea in his mind. When he was first selected in the one-day international side he played as a batsman while Geraint Jones was the wicketkeeper. It's a role he feels he could perform again, although maintains that keeping is still part of the game he enjoys.
"My goal in the end is to play for England again and be successful. Whether that's as a keeper-batsman or a batsman solely," he said. "I will basically do whatever it takes for me to get back into the squad. Right now I'm a keeper-batsman and that's what I want to do and the role I want to play for England.
"It's a completely different game plan as a batsman and you get different pressures, I'm not oblivious to that but obviously I've got the stats that say I can just play as a batsman and that's exciting for me as well. I basically don't want to burn any bridges. But right now it's the dual role and I'm loving every minute of it with Sussex."
Still, it's clear that Prior enjoys facing a challenge. His best innings in Sri Lanka all came from tough positions. England were trying to save the match in Kandy when Prior's 147-ball 63 nearly guided them to safety; in Colombo he made 79 after arriving at 237 for 5 and in the final Test in Galle he made 19 off 100 balls as England, with help from the rain, escaped with a draw. His 105 against Kent began when Sussex were in a collapse at 103 for 4 and Prior says he relishes the heat of battle.
"I enjoy playing when there's something on it in a pressurised situation," he said. "Obviously, not all the time but sometimes opportunities arise for you to step up and see if you can take the heat. Individually you feel good. In the scorebook it doesn't say it was made in tricky conditions or against certain bowlers, it just says 100, 50 or 0. But you know the amount of work you put into a certain innings and you do get reward out of it. When it's easy and you succeed it's not quite as rewarding as when it's been tricky."
Andrew McGlashan is a staff writer at Cricinfo
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