Matt Prior to make Test debut

Just over a year ago we launched the Matt Prior for England campaign. We started about four campaigns that week, none of which we felt too strongly about. At least now we can put that one to bed. Matt Prior will make his Test debut behind the stumps on Thursday.

We didn't really think there was much of a decision to be made about England's wicketkeeper. Read and Jones were obviously out, so it was between Prior and Paul Nixon. Paul Nixon performed well during the World Cup, but he's about 53 and has never played a Test. There was simply no point in picking him. You'd just be postponing the real decision and denying someone experience.

Besides, Matt Prior's a better batsman. He's been pretty ordinary when he's played in England one-day games, but he's always been solid for Sussex and more importantly, he was the only batsman other than Kevin Pietersen who could score a run when the A team toured India a few years back.

Doubtless Prior will get the whole summer to prove his worth and meanwhile his rivals will have to continue jostling for position via county cricket. At the end of the season the next player in the queue might be clearer, but hopefully it won't come to that and Matt Prior will have kept impeccably and scored 12 hundreds.