Matt Prior sorry for hurting fan

MATT Prior has apologised to a female spectator who was cut by shattered glass after he accidentally broke a window in the Lord's pavilion as he reacted angrily to being run out.

The England wicketkeeper was out cheaply in England's second innings as they chased quick runs before their declaration against Sri Lanka. It transpired only slowly how his understandable aggravation resulted in the window being broken, as an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman first of all reported that batting gloves thrown across the room somehow ricocheted into bats which cracked the glass.

Then, after consulting coach Andy Flower, who saw the incident, the spokesman further clarified and said: "Prior put his bat on the ledge where the wall met the window in the dressing-room. The handle bounced off the wall into the window, and the glass broke."

The unfortunate spectator was then hurt as the glass shattered down into the members' seating area below. "A lady spectator suffered a small cut to her ankle," added the spokesman. "It was an accident, and Matt Prior has apologised."

It is understood England captain Andrew Strauss accompanied Prior downstairs to speak to the injured spectator. Australia captain Ricky Ponting was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council for breaking a television screen in his team's dressing room after he, too, was run out at the World Cup in Ahmedabad three months ago.