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No excuses for Prior form

19/12/2007

England coach Peter Moores says there are no excuses for the mistakes made by wicketkeeper Matt Prior during the third Test against Sri Lanka.

Prior dropped two vital opportunities today which allowed the home side to build a fifth wicket partnership of 149 and take the game away from England.

Moores says the mistakes are costing the side and affecting their chances of bowling the opposition out.

The coach said: "He [Prior] has obviously done a lot of time in the field but we are not into excuses, it is international sport and we want to deliver.

"In a Test match, when you need to take 20 wickets you don't want to be taking 25."

Prior has come in for criticism from experts for his glove-work behind the stumps and many have suggested that England should pick a specialist keeper.

The Sussex man has improved with the bat, averaging 47.33 during the current series, but those runs may not be enough to offset the contribution made by the opposition batsmen following his dropped catches.

During the second day's play of the final Test Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 149 after Prior appeared to pull out of a diving catch off the bowling of Matthew Hoggard.

He also spurned a chance when Ryan Sidebottom found the edge of Tillakaratne Dilshan just before the tea interval.

Prior was not given a central contract at the end of the summer and reserve wicketkeeper Phil Mustard could now force his way into the side for the tour of New Zealand if Moores continues to loose confidence in Prior.