"there has only ever been one perfect man, the Lord Jesus, and we killed him. I only missed a putt."
The Gloves are off
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Matt Prior, London Simon & Schuster, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-47112-790-8
If you want a book to put you in the mood for the Ashes, this is it. Matt Prior gives the inside story of England’s rise through the rankings and how the series in Australia 2010-11 was won.
Possibly the most interesting chapter is called French Lessons, telling how Prior went from being an average wicketkeeper to an outstanding one and the role of his coach, Bruce French in the process.
Prior is open and honest about his frustrations about not being selected for the England 1-day team. He also gives his version of the broken window at Lords incident and of jellygate, when England spread Jelly Beans on the pitch in a test v India.
I enjoyed his account of his century in his first test as I was privileged to be at Lords to see it.
His comment on Flintoff missing a function by drinking too much the night before “it was the first sign that his behaviour was becoming a little bit individual, and that the team had begun to move on from him” gives a fascinating insight into the England team ethos.
A good read.