HOME      MATTHEW PRIOR

• September 2000 he started his career. Now he has signed a contract to keep him at the Club for a further 4 years.
• This site followed Matthew because since childhood it was obvious that with strong support he would make a good professional cricketer
• In 2000 it was possible to feel that not all Sussex young cricketers had been developed to their full potential before being discarded.
• Prior to Matthew's arrival the Club had witnessed the transition from Peter Moores to Shaun Humphries and had brought the England Under 19 keeper - Nicholas Wilton- in as second string keeper.
• Shaun was released and Matthew began his career in the background to Nicholas .
• From the very beginning the Club made common sense judgements in respect of their wicket keeper batsman.
• It had also signed Tim Ambrose- who although playing for a local Club had not come from the Sussex youth ranks.
• Nicholas retired- his batting could not compare with the competition- and turned to coaching and cricket development -a role which he is undertaking with considerable skill.
• Matthew never looked back and he is today knocking on the door of the England programme.
• Since 2000 2 other keepers have been steadily working their way through the |Sussex youth age group based cricket
• Andrew Hodd and Ricahrd Young followed both Nicholas and Matthew into the England youth sides as keepers.
• Andrew has been ready to test the professional water for some months and it has always been fairly obvious that Sussex could not offer him a post.
• Andrew has therefore signed for Surrey as understudy to Jon Batty.
• This is an astute move because Jon has taken over the captaincy of Surrey CCC.
• Surrey players have in the past proved capable of keeping and captaincy as did Peter Moores for Sussex but I feel Andrew may have fallen on his feet.
• Richard Young now moves in to the senior England youth sides and in two years time- if not sooner- may well be looking for a professional contract.
• Sussex signing Matthew for 4 years may suggest to Richard that he, like Andrew , may need to move to achieve his ambitions.
• The story will run for several more seasons.
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