CRICKETER OF THE MONTH AWARD

Alec Stewart may be Surrey through and through having served the county with such distinction for more than two decades but, above all, he is a patriot.

That is why the former England batsman/wicketkeeper has no qualms about his new role as manager/mentor and specialist coach to Sussex's gloveman Matt Prior.

Stewart collected 133 caps in a Test career spanning 15 years. Now his latest project is to help rebuild Prior's selfbelief and return him to the England fold where he can put pressure on current incumbent Tim Ambrose.

Prior hit a century on a dream Test debut against the West Indies at Lord's early last summer but was dogged by accusations of poor glovework throughout that series and the subsequent visit of India. Just eight Tests into his Test career he was axed by the selectors after another fumbling display behind the stumps, this time in Sri Lanka.

His response has been to plunder a stack of runs for the champion county in the early part of this summer, wh i le earning plaudits for his tidy and efficient work with the gloves. Although he narrowly failed to catch the selectors' eye for the one-day series against New Zealand, 26-year-old Prior ended last month as the country's top scorer with 724 runs. His nine championship innings yielded three centuries and four 50s and a total of 616 runs at an average of 77.

It is this form which has earned Prior the Evening Standard cricketer-of-themonth-award for May for which he receives a bronze statuette and a magnum of Verve Cliquot champagne. Sussex's director of cricket, Mark Robinson, said: "What a fantastic choice. This is the reward for a lot of hard work and there is more to come.

"Matthew's keeping has been very consistent and the batting has moved up to another level, he is showing he has it in him to play those big innings.

"He was treated pretty harshly by England, in my opinion, but the way he has coped since returning to us has been a terrific example to everybody.

"Matthew has not moaned once about his luck, he has just got on with his work and been positive. That burning ambition to play for his country is still there, stronger than ever."

After scores of 62, 105 and 59 in April, Prior's May returns were 51 against Surrey, one against Somerset, a brilliant 131 and 64 against Nottinghamshire, followed by nine and a stunning 133 not out against Durham.

Prior, skippering Sussex for the first time in the absence of the injured Chris Adams, did his Captain Marvel impression by hammering 133 out of 176, having arrived at the crease at 24 for three.

However, Sussex lost by seven wickets with another England discard, Durham's Steve Harmison, doing the damage taking seven wickets - including a hat-trick.

After the keeper's previous century on a bowler-friendly Trent Bridge track, Adams insisted that Prior is talented enough to play for England as a specialist batsman.

"I believe he could comfortably bat for England at five or six," said Adams. "He has a Test average above 40 and he's playing better than ever now."

But there is no question of Prior hanging up the big gloves. He only has to glance at his new mentor to remind him what is possible.

Robinson is glad of the Stewart link-up, and is expecting Prior to continue improving under the former England skipper's tutelage.

He said: "Alec's management company look after Matthew's affairs and through that link Alec has been working with us as a part-time coach.

"He is very knowledgeable and a great bloke to have around on training days. He spends a lot of time with Matthew."