Following Matt Prior’s retirement from cricket, we look at the wicket-keeper’s all-important numbers that will live on in the history books.
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If ever there was a job in cricket that is sometimes taken for granted it is that of a wicket-keeper. He is probably the most hardworking player of the playing XI and is only granted rest when his side is batting. With the modern day wicket-keeper expected to be a key cog in his team’s middle order, this time can be minimal and the role made even more valuable. The keeper’s job not only involves immense mental focus, it also requires an extreme level of physical fitness, with routine up and downs performed every delivery for roughly 6 hours a day – sometimes more in case of a long innings.
With all this in mind, a retiring wicket-keeper leaves a vast void for any side to fill. Add to all of that the relationships formed between bowlers and their trusted gloveman and the task gets greater. For England, James Anderson owes 68 of his 403 wickets to Matt Prior and following today’s announcement of the latter’s retirement from cricket, “c Prior b Anderson” will never be seen on a Test scorecard again.
Prior had a longstanding battle with an Achilles injury and underwent surgery last September having lost his place in the England side. In a bid to return to international cricket, he was hopeful of a return with his county Sussex but was advised otherwise.
Prior, who played 79 Tests, 68 ODIs and 10 T20Is for England from May 2007 to July 2014, was part of three historic Ashes-winning teams. His final appearance in cricket was the Lord’s Test against India last July, when England lost the by 95 runs. It now seems fitting that Prior finished his career on the very same ground he had made his Test debut seven years earlier with a century that announced himself on the international scene in imperious fashion – 126 not out in 128 balls, including 19 fours while batting at number 7 against the West Indies.
Below we give a lowdown on Prior’s career and the numbers that matter.
Overall career in all formats | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Format | Mts | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100 | 50 | Ct | St |
First-class | 249 | 381 | 44 | 13228 | 201* | 39.25 | 66.85 | 28 | 75 | 642 | 41 |
List A | 222 | 204 | 18 | 5072 | 144 | 27.26 | 92.08 | 4 | 28 | 187 | 31 |
Twenty20 | 84 | 78 | 5 | 1906 | 117 | 26.10 | 143.63 | 1 | 11 | 46 | 6 |
Total | 555 | 663 | 67 | 20206 | 201* | 33.90 | 97.33 | 33 | 114 | 875 | 78 |
Note: “caught Prior bowled James Anderson” scoreline is the best by an English pair in Test cricket
Leading Test keeper-batsman (runs) | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Keeper-batsman | Country | Career span | Mts | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 |
AC Gilchrist | Aus | 1999-2008 | 96 | 137 | 20 | 5570 | 204* | 47.60 | 17 | 26 |
MV Boucher | SAf | 1997-2012 | 147 | 206 | 24 | 5515 | 125 | 30.30 | 5 | 35 |
MS Dhoni | Ind | 2005-2014 | 90 | 144 | 16 | 4876 | 224 | 38.09 | 6 | 33 |
AJ Stewart | Eng | 1991-2003 | 82 | 145 | 15 | 4540 | 173 | 34.92 | 6 | 23 |
A Flower | Zim | 1992-2002 | 55 | 100 | 18 | 4404 | 232* | 53.70 | 12 | 23 |
APE Knott | Eng | 1967-1981 | 95 | 149 | 15 | 4389 | 135 | 32.75 | 5 | 30 |
IA Healy | Aus | 1988-1999 | 119 | 182 | 23 | 4356 | 161* | 27.39 | 4 | 22 |
MJ Prior | Eng | 2007-2014 | 79 | 123 | 21 | 4099 | 131* | 40.18 | 7 | 28 |
Leading Test keeper-batsman (average) | ||||||||||
Keeper-batsman | Country | Career span | Mts | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 |
AB de Villiers | SAf | 2004-2015 | 23 | 37 | 3 | 1981 | 169 | 58.26 | 7 | 7 |
A Flower | Zim | 1992-2002 | 55 | 100 | 18 | 4404 | 232* | 53.70 | 12 | 23 |
AC Gilchrist | Aus | 1999-2008 | 96 | 137 | 20 | 5570 | 204* | 47.60 | 17 | 26 |
BJ Watling | NZ | 2012-2015 | 23 | 37 | 6 | 1440 | 142* | 46.45 | 4 | 9 |
LEG Ames | Eng | 1929-1939 | 44 | 67 | 12 | 2387 | 149 | 43.40 | 8 | 7 |
KC Sangakkara | SL | 2000-2008 | 48 | 81 | 4 | 3117 | 230 | 40.48 | 7 | 11 |
MJ Prior | Eng | 2007-2014 | 79 | 123 | 21 | 4099 | 131* | 40.18 | 7 | 28 |
DT Lindsay | SAf | 1964-1970 | 15 | 26 | 1 | 1000 | 182 | 40.00 | 3 | 4 |
Note: Two of his catches have come as a fielder