New Zealand Tour

Prior bags England player of the year award

by AFP

London: Matt Prior was named the England cricketer-of-the-year for 2012/13, in an acknowledgement of the Sussex wicket-keeper's consistency with both bat and gloves.

The 31-year-old is now one of the first names on the team sheet after England captain Alastair Cook and the latest demonstration of his worth to the side came with his match-saving unbeaten hundred in the drawn third Test against New Zealand in Auckland in March.

Prior was presented with his award at Lord's on Monday, where the first of a return two-Test series against New Zealand starts on Thursday.

"It was fantastic when I found out, a huge honour to be singled out as player of the year," said Prior, the first wicket-keeper to win the award. "I feel slightly uncomfortable with it, because individual accolades are not really the reason I play....more

10:16 AM, May 14, 2013

Root justifies England selection

by AFP

London: Joe Root maintained his case for inclusion in the England team to play New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's next week by scoring 179 for the second-string England Lions in a draw against the tourists at Grace Road on Sunday. Root, the Lions captain, was named Saturday in a 12-man squad for the first of a two-Test series which culminates later this month at the Yorkshire batsman's...

09:11 AM, May 13, 2013

England squad for first Test announced, Bresnan, Swann recalled

by AFP

London: Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan have both been recalled by England in a 12-man squad announced Saturday for next week's first Test against New Zealand at Lord's following their respective recoveries from elbow surgery. Off-spinner Swann and seamer Bresnan both last played Test cricket in the series-clinching win over India in Nagpur in December and missed the recent drawn three-Test series in New Zealand. However, Nottinghamshire's Swann and Yorkshire's...

03:27 PM, May 11, 2013