Prior must play the Ashes

Among the many wicketkeeping battles in English cricket is the ongoing one between Matt Prior and Craig Kieswetter. Stephen Brenkley writes in the Independent on Sunday that despite Kieswetter's impressive show on the international scene, Prior's experience, his unselfishness and significant improvement with the gloves must warrant a place in England's Ashes squad.

Kieswetter was called up by England as soon as he was available, having served a four-year qualification period after deciding that he was not after all South African and would throw in his lot with the land of his mother, or at least the one next door to his mother, she being Scottish.

He has said and done all the right things since he first pitched up in Dubai last autumn and from there went on to Bangladesh and the Caribbean. Little more could have been asked of him.

Yet there remains a nagging doubt that Prior, Ashes hero that he is, has not been treated with quite the propriety he deserves. Through constant application, his wicketkeeping has progressed enormously and if he has put in the hours, the big secret is still a simple one: he stays lower for longer.