By Graeme Mair Last updated: 10th September 2007
Prior: no deal
Jimmy Anderson's form in both Test and one-day cricket this summer has been impressive and we are also very pleased with the progress Ryan Sidebottom has made following his return to the international team earlier this season.
David Graveney
Quotes of the week
The England and Wales Cricket Board have awarded central contracts to 12 players, but there is no deal for wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Prior has been an ever-present behind the stumps in all forms of cricket since the start of the summer, but his inconsistent performances mean the selectors have not handed him a central contract.
For the second successive year there are no wicketkeepers among 12 players, with fast bowlers James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom the only new names on the list.
"The awarding of 12-month central contracts to two new players, James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom, is based on the contribution they have made to the team in recent months and their anticipated level of involvement in international cricket during the next year," said chairman of selectors David Graveney.
"Jimmy Anderson's form in both Test and one-day cricket this summer has been impressive and we are also very pleased with the progress Ryan Sidebottom has made following his return to the international team earlier this season."
Young pacemen Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett - who have both shown great promise during their fledgling international careers - are both overlooked, but Test specialists Stephen Harmison and Matthew Hoggard are retained.
Graveney did offer hope to those outside the 12-man elite, saying: "Overall, one less 12-month central contract has been awarded than last year. We can, however, recommend the award of six-month summer contracts to individual players from next April if performances on overseas tours merit this."
Ashley Giles, Simon Jones and Marcus Trescothick are the players to not have their contracts renewed - all three having suffered an injury-plagued 12 months.
Left-arm spinner Giles was forced to retire due to a hip injury earlier in the summer, while paceman Jones is currently in the process of coming back after career-saving knee surgery.
Somerset opener Trescothick has played a full county season since a stress-related illness forced his premature return from last winter's Ashes tour.
However, the 31-year-old does not feel ready to return to the international stage, leaving the ECB with little option but to end his central deal.
More faith has been shown in Trescothick's former opening partner Andrew Strauss, who retains a central contract despite a difficult 12 months during which his poor form has seen him axed from the one-day side.
There are three different salary bands among the ECB central contracts, which are not disclosed publicly.
| Fixture |
|---|
| Sunday 6th July |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| West Indies vs Australia |
| Asia Cup |
| India vs Sri Lanka |
| Varsity Friendly |
| England Under 19 vs Bangladesh A |
| Monday 7th July |
| The Twenty20 Cup |
| Essex vs Northamptonshire |
| Durham vs Yorkshire |
| Tuesday 8th July |
| The Twenty20 Cup |
| Middlesex vs Lancashire |
| Wednesday 9th July |
| The Twenty20 Cup |
| Warwickshire vs Kent |
| Thursday 10th July |
| Test Match Series |
| England vs South Africa |
| County Championship - Division Two |
| Worcestershire vs Northamptonshire |
| Friday 11th July |
| County Championship - Division One |
| Durham vs Somerset |
| Result |
|---|
| Saturday 5th July |
| Friends Provident Trophy |
| Essex vs Yorkshire Essex won by 87 runs. |
| Friday 4th July |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| West Indies vs Australia Australia won by 1 runs. |
| Asia Cup |
| Pakistan vs Bangladesh Pakistan won by 10 wickets. |
| Friends Provident Trophy |
| Durham vs Kent Kent won by 83 runs. |
| Thursday 3rd July |
| Asia Cup |
| India vs Sri Lanka India won by 6 wickets. |
| Nat West Triangular Series |
| Scotland vs New Zealand New Zealand won by 8 wickets. |
| Wednesday 2nd July |
| Asia Cup |
| Pakistan vs India Pakistan won by 8 wickets. |
| Nat West Triangular Series |
| Scotland vs Ireland Scotland won by 5 wickets. |
| Tuesday 1st July |
| Nat West Triangular Series |
| Ireland vs New Zealand New Zealand won by 290 runs. |
| Varsity Match |
| Oxford University vs Cambridge University Match Drawn |
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David Fulton fears we may have seen the last of Paul Collingwood as England one-day captain.
Ryan Sidebottom reveals the pain of injury and the agony of defeat in his latest skysports.com blog.
It's the Asia Cup final with India taking on Sri Lanka in Karachi. Click for updates from the skysports.com scorecentre.
England captain Michael Vaughan is adamant he will be fit not just for the first Test against South Africa but the entire series.
Michael Clarke wants Australia to show no mercy in Sunday's final one-day international against West Indies.
Eoin Morgan struck an unbeaten 109 as Middlesex finished day two of the tour match against South Africa on 311-5.
Andrew Strauss thinks South Africa's reliance on out-an-out pace bowling could play into England's hands during the upcoming four-Test series