'Fascinating': Kevin Pietersen photo sends cricket world into frenzy
Former England pair Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior have put old disagreements behind them, chatting and shaking hands on the pitch before play began in the third Test in South Africa.
The pair shared a dressing room for many years but their relationship took a bitter turn in 2014 when Prior was pilloried in Pietersen's autobiography as a "backstabber" and mocked for his 'big cheese' nickname.
AMAZING: Virat Kohli honoured over incredible act for Steve Smith
‘WHAT IS GOING ON’: Disbelief over 'embarrassing' Big Bash farce
Prior was hurt by the depiction, but there was a hint of thawing when the former wicketkeeper retired from cricket the following year and received a tweet of support from Pietersen.
The duo are both acting as summarisers for TalkSport during the third Test at Port Elizabeth and converged in the middle shortly before the toss took place.
They talked cordially for several minutes and shook hands warmly as they parted, with Pietersen later taking to Twitter to share the moment.
Alongside a picture of the pair he wrote: "Lovely to see @MattPrior13 this morning. Bygones! We won some amazing Test matches together and time is a healer."
Lovely to see @MattPrior13 this morning.
Bygones! 🙏🏻
We won some amazing Test Matches together & time is a healer.
🤝 pic.twitter.com/bgofGviM4v— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 16, 2020
Prior replied: "Agree totally. I remember the good times - of which there were many - fondly. Onwards!"
Agree totally. I remember the good times - of which there were many - fondly. Onwards! 🤝
— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) January 16, 2020
Cricket world celebrates brilliant moment
The cricket world erupted over the moment, with former teammate Andrew Flintoff seemingly sickened by the touching display.
🤢🤢🤢 pic.twitter.com/Pla7tdoTX1
— Andrew Flintoff (@flintoff11) January 16, 2020
Great to see. There should always be a very special bond between a group of players, like yours, who achieved so much. That’s certainly my recollection of 2005. Well done 👏🦁🦁🦁🏴
— Ashley Giles (@Gilo) January 16, 2020
Scrap what I said.....I used to like you...some of us are at home, working Kev, but will see you in Jo’Burg hopefully
— Ashley Giles (@Gilo) January 16, 2020
Friends again. What looks like a cordial and lengthy first chat of the tour between KP and Matt Prior. Watching the body language throughout was fascinating. Ended with a handshake. pic.twitter.com/Eh3LyH6Ct8
— Dean Wilson (@CricketMirror) January 16, 2020
🏴 @KP24 🤝 @MattPrior13 👍 pic.twitter.com/Rg6l53m4gb
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 16, 2020
Love this. Pietersen and Prior were both brilliant players in the best @englandcricket team of my lifetime. 👏 pic.twitter.com/zLmo53SY2K
— Dominic Booth (@DomBooth19) January 16, 2020
Ben Stokes in fine form again
Ben Stokes dug in to help England recover to 4-224 at stumps on the opening day of the crucial third Test in Port Elizabeth.
Allrounder Stokes, crowned world player of the year this week for some scintillating performances with his bat, showed on Thursday he can also play cautiously when required.
England were back in control at the close, having taken the initiative at 0-61 at lunch and then lost it when captain Joe Root fell to leave the tourists 4-148 after tea.
Stokes was 38 not out off 86 deliveries. He put on 76 with Ollie Pope (39 not out) and the pair also saw off 10 overs of the second new ball right at the end of the day.
"It was very attritional cricket wasn't it?" England opening batsman Zak Crawley asked.
"It was a very good day for us in the end. Popey and Stokesy played brilliantly for us."
The four-match series is level at 1-1 and an England victory in Port Elizabeth would ensure they can't lose the contest and put them in position for a second straight series win in South Africa.
with AAP
