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Your support makes all the difference.England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has been told he "should be more careful in future" after being reprimanded by the International Cricket Council following an incident at Lord's yesterday in which a dressing room window was smashed.
The 29-year-old reacted angrily to being run out on the final day of the second Test against Sri Lanka and a window in the dressing room was shattered, with a spectator in the members' area suffering minor cuts from the broken glass.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said yesterday that it was an accident and that Prior had apologised to the spectator, but the ICC have now opted to sanction Prior.
Match referee Javagal Srinath said in a statement released by the ICC: "Matt knows that his action was in breach of the code and he should be more careful in future. That said, it was clear that the damage he caused was purely accidental and without malice. It's also noted that he apologised to the ground authority for the incident."
A statement from the sport's world governing body read: "England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has been reprimanded for breaching the ICC code of conduct during his team's Test match against Sri Lanka at Lord's.
"Prior accepted the Level 1 charge and the proposed sanction from Javagal Srinath of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees after an incident where a window was broken in the England team dressing room.
"He was found to have breached clause 2.1.2 of the code which relates to 'abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match'.
"The charge was brought by on-field umpires Billy Doctrove and Rod Tucker as well as third umpire Aleem Dar and fourth official Richard Illingworth."
Level 1 offences can be punished by a fine of 50% of a player's match fee, but Prior's acceptance of the charge means the punishment will not go beyond the reprimand.
Prior had just made his way back to the pavilion after being run out in England's dash to set up a declaration on 335 for seven when the window was smashed.
England moved quickly to explain it was an accident - and captain Andrew Strauss insisted the case was closed.
An ECB spokesman said yesterday: "Prior put his bat on the ledge where the wall met the window in the dressing room.
"The bat handle bounced off the wall into the window, and the glass broke.
"A lady spectator suffered a small cut to her ankle.
"It was an accident, and Matt Prior has apologised."
The 22-year-old student who was injured in the incident, Emma Baker, also tried to draw a line under the incident.
She told the Daily Mail: "It certainly wasn't something that I expected to happen, but it hasn't put me off cricket or coming to watch England play here. Everyone was very nice about it.
"Matt Prior has said he is sorry and I've accepted that. I realise these things sometimes happen in the dressing room and I won't be taking the matter further."
The ICC reacted in the same manner when former Australia captain Ricky Ponting damaged a television set in his team's dressing room after being run out against Zimbabwe at the World Cup in February.
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