SOMETHING’S WRONG: England wicketkeeper Matt Prior misses a stumping chance of Australia’s David Warner when the opener was on 13, during the third day’s play of the third Ashes Test in Perth yesterday. Prior also missed another stumping chance when Warner was on 89. The aggressive opening bat went on to make 112. (Reuters)

Reuters/Perth

Prior is enduring what can be politely described as a torrid time in the two Ashes series against Australia this year. His batting average over the eight Tests is under 20, well below his overall average which is hovering over 40.

Yesterday at the WACA, he suffered probably his worst six hours on a cricket field since he was dropped following a problematic tour of Sri Lanka six years ago.

His day began in ignominious fashion when he was out for a turgid eight, under-edging a ball to Haddin when going for an injudicious pull shot.

A major cog in England’s demolition of Australia on the 2010-11 Ashes tour, he is now a significant part of the all too familiar batting collapses. The latest collapse saw England lose their last six wickets for 61 runs and concede a first-innings deficit of 134 runs, which Australia pushed out to a lead of 369 by the close of play.

“We obviously haven’t played the cricket we want to play, Australia have been fantastic, they’ve been aggressive and changed their fortunes around from the English summer,” said Prior’s teammate Stuart Broad, whose injury was yet another blow to the tourists.

“We obviously played some brilliant cricket six months ago. We created a lot of pressure with the ball and got enough runs to survive.

“Whereas this time around we’ve obviously lost three big tosses but haven’t been able to apply the pressure when we’ve needed to and Australia have been attacking enough to take the game away from us.” 

Needing quick Australian wickets yesterday, Prior spurned a golden opportunity to make early inroads when he missed the simplest of stumping chances with David Warner on 13. He also missed stumping Warner again when the belligerent batsmen was on 89 and conceded eight byes through his legs. Warner was finally out for 112.

He was one half of a guilty party when England captain Alastair Cook dropped Warner’s opening partner Chris Rogers at first slip. Rogers went on to make 54. 

They say catches win matches and England have spilled far too many already in the three matches so far.

To compound Prior’s day he was part of a triumvirate that decided to challenge a not out decision against Shane Watson.

There were giggles in the press tent as replays showed the ball pitching about three inches outside leg stump and hitting the pad outside leg stump — further evidence of England’s scrambled mindset.

Prior does not stand alone as the only England player suffering on this trip. His plight is just emblematic of a team that now looks frazzled.

The England keeper’s misfortunes have been magnified due to his importance to the team. He has long been considered one of England’s ring leaders, the drummer that maintains the beat to which the rest of the team plays along to. But the wheels have well and truly fallen off the English wagon. Everything seems to be going Australia’s way and mentally England look fried. 

“The heat and being so far behind takes its toll and it is almost like they realise a victory is out of their grasp and from there you get a bit defensive,” said a sympathetic Rogers after the day’s play.