Swann 'embarassed' by his own rise

Just 13 months into Test cricket, England's star spinner Graeme Swann has risen to No.5 in the Test rankings, a fact which is yet to sink in, by his own admittance. In an interview to Donald McRae in the Guardian, Swann reflects on an action-packed year, his early days as a brash young man and looks ahead to his wedding.

"The one other time I won two man of the match awards was in my first year of school rugby when I was the only guy to have played the game before. I was a doughty scrum-half – a cheeky little shit – and I'd start the fights and let the front row sort it."

Mat Prior's wicketkeeping has improved in a big way over the last year and a good reason for that is that he has found an able ally in the wicketkeeping coach Bruce French, writes Michael Atherton in the Times. While Prior’s form with the gloves has been excellent, his returns with the bat have lacked consistency. Balancing the two has been a bit of a struggle though.

Prior reckons that he got too bulky last winter and that it affected his speed of movement. He has made a conscious effort to slim down in South Africa, changing his training routine from a weights-based programme to resistance training, including more core work. He has a lighter and more toned frame and is more agile.