LONDON — Matt Prior was named Monday the England Cricketer of the Year for 2012/13, in an acknowledgement of the Sussex wicketkeeper'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, where the first of a return two-Test series against New Zealand starts Thursday. “It was fantastic when I found out, a huge honor to be singled out as player of the year,” said Prior, the first wicketkeeper to win the award. “I feel slightly uncomfortable with it, because individual accolades are not really the reason I play. “I want this team to win. I get much more out of the group winning a Test or series,” he added ahead of a season where England will defend the Ashes against Australia. “I think it's very easy to look back and think ‘that was a great year' and pat yourself on the back,” said Prior. “That's certainly not something I'll be doing. “Yes, it was a great year - and I'll take a huge amount of confidence from it. But you've got to knuckle down and look to improve. “It's back to the drawing board now, and it all starts again.” Southee gets all clear New Zealand seamer Tim Southee has been passed fit to play in the first Test against England at Lord's Thursday. The 24-year-old paceman limped out of action during last week's drawn match with the second-string England Lions in Leicester, the tourists' final match before the first of a two Test series that culminates later this month at Headingley. But having had a scan on the sore left toe that was hampering him and seen a specialist, Southee has now been given the all clear. Had he been sidelined, the tourists would have had to lean heavily on left-arm quicks Trent Boult and Neil Wagner, who starred in the drawn 0-0 series across three Tests against England in New Zealand two months ago, and the fit-again Doug Bracewell. However, with 24 Tests behind Southee is a seasoned Test player and New Zealand coach Mike Hesson was glad to have him available for the series opener. “Tim's fine. It was very much a precautionary response really from us,” Hesson said Monday. “We sent him down to London for further investigation, and basically the result was as we hoped. “He's had some treatment to his left toe, and we're very comfortable he'll be right for the first Test.” Wagner might have played in any case, as New Zealand's leading wickettaker in the three recent draws. He too has recovered from a minor toe injury. Early season conditions in England often favour seamers and Hesson said naming a four-man attack without left-arm spinner Bruce Martin. On the batting front, New Zealand will look to the stylish Ross Taylor to play to his true potential. — Agencies
