Henry Pryor, inventor of Merlyn bowling machine, dies aged 92

Henry Pryor, the inventor of the Merlyn bowling machine, died aged 92. England used the machine in the 2005 Ashes, the first series they won in 18 years.

Pryor started work on Merlyn after he found existing machines useless while coaching in inner-city schools. The device could copy Shane Warne's spin and line, so England players could face something close to the real thing.

He licensed the design to Bola, and the first production units appeared in 2009. Pryor leaves his wife Anna and eight children.