Matthew James Prior, a former English cricketer, was born on 26 February 1982 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He moved to England with his family at the age of 11 and has lived there since. His mother is of South African descent, while his father is of English origin. Prior attended Brighton College, where he began playing cricket and quickly progressed through youth levels. He played for the St Matthias Cricket Club's colts team in his early years, setting the stage for a distinguished domestic and international cricket career.
Matthew Prior is married to Emily Nelson, the daughter of former Arsenal F.C. and Brighton & Hove Albion footballer Sammy Nelson. The couple has two children, one son and one daughter.
Matthew Prior represented Sussex County Cricket Club throughout his domestic career. He was a three-time recipient of the prestigious NBC Denis Compton Award, which is given to promising young cricketers. In 2003, he played a key role in helping Sussex clinch the County Championship and scored over 1,000 first-class runs. He topped Sussex’s run charts again in 2004, amassing 1,158 runs, including an unbeaten double century (201 not out) against Loughborough UCCE.
Although his 874 runs in 2005 were fewer than the previous year, Prior re-established himself as Sussex’s first-choice wicketkeeper after previously sharing the role with Tim Ambrose. He was part of the Sussex side that won the County Championship on three occasions—in 2003, 2006, and 2007. However, his appearances in the 2007 campaign were limited due to his England duties.
Matthew Prior made his One Day International (ODI) debut for England in 2004 against Zimbabwe. Opening the batting with Ian Bell, he scored 35 in a match England won by 74 runs. He was subsequently selected for the ODI series against Pakistan in 2005. After scoring 45 and 32 in the first two matches, his performance declined in the remaining games, where he managed single-digit scores. Despite mixed results, he was retained for England’s ODI series against India, contributing 22, 33, 37, and 14 runs in consecutive matches. He was left out of the fifth game but returned for the sixth, helping England to a win, before playing a minimal role in the final match.
Prior made a more lasting impact in Test cricket. He was recalled in 2008 for series against South Africa and India, with his performance improving notably in 2009 against the West Indies. During that series, he was named Man of the Match, marking a turning point in his international career. Over time, he became a reliable wicketkeeper-batsman, known for his aggressive yet controlled batting style.
In total, Prior scored seven centuries in his Test career, with a highest score of 131 against Pakistan. He ended his Test career with a batting average of 40, a commendable figure for a wicketkeeper-batsman.
| Birth Date: | 26 Feb, 1982 |
| Age: | 38 yrs |
| Occupations: | Cricketer |
| Citizenship: | South Africa |
| Birth Place: | Johannesburg |
| Education: | Brighton College |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | Cricket player of England. |
| Net Worth 2021: | 5 million |
