LONDON, Aug 15: England wicket-keeper Matt Prior faces an examination of both his nerve and skill after a rollercoaster first season in Test cricket.

The 25-year-old Sussex keeper/batsman made a storybook start to his Test career by scoring a hundred on debut at Lord's, albeit against a weak and woefully under-prepared West Indies attack.

But in the last Test of the season, across London at The Oval, Prior found himself dropping catches and making a first innings nought against India.

In the intervening period it seemed he had become England's chief sledger.

Prior, conscious the keeper is the man who is expected to gee-up his team-mates on the field, rarely let up with what some within the England set-up labelled ‘aggressive’ cricket although former England coach David Lloyd branded it ‘puerile’ chatter.

Meanwhile, at The Oval, former England wicket-keeper Alec Stewart – Prior's agent – highlighted a technical flaw that meant his client's footwork was below par because his weight was on his heels rather than the balls of his feet as the bowler came in.

However, in the second innings, Prior did bat for 93 minutes in making an unbeaten 12 as England saved the third Test although a draw gave India the series 1-0.

England coach Peter Moores, who guided the keeper’s early career, said of Prior: “He can look back on the summer and say he has a Test match average close to 40 and he kept pretty well there.

“He's made some mistakes but he's learning and he's getting better,” former Sussex wicket-keeper Moores added.—AFP