Prior straining every sinew for Oval decider

London, Aug. 14 (ANI): England wicketkeeper Matt Prior is straining every sinew in his body to make sure he is ready for the Ashes decider at the Oval.

As England hopes to wrest the Ashes from the Aussies, Prior has said that he is ready to have a go at them because this is what he's spent his whole life training for.

"To be part of an Ashes series has been fantastic. But there are four games gone with one to play and it is a winner-takes-all final," Mirror.co.uk quoted Prior, as saying.

"And I'd love to make a telling contribution in this next game. This is the game that matters most and I'd love to get a really big score or make some kind of contribution that goes towards an England win.

"This is the kind of stage you want to perform on, this is what all the hours or practice in the nets, in the gym, talking to coaches and sports psychologists boils down to," he added.

Prior's form with the bat and gloves has certainly been something for England fans to be happy about this summer and there should be more to come now that his back isn't causing him any more pain.

He will take his place in England's batting at No.6 and even though there are still questions to be answered about who will bat above him, he believes anyone in the squad can do the job.

"Whoever we pick will be ready," he added.

Prior is so focused on the job that Sussex have agreed to leave him out of their Twenty20 finals day squad tomorrow.

It was a tough decision for the 27-year-old since he would love to join his Sussex team-mates for their big day having been a part of the club for the past 15 years. (ANI)