Gary Pratt: Difference between revisions
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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Interview with the Guardian, August 2006 [http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cricket/story/0,,1860794,00.html England's supersub brought back down to earth] |
Interview with the Guardian, August 2006 [http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cricket/story/0,,1860794,00.html England's supersub brought back down to earth] |
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The Northern Echo breaks news of Pratt swapping sports |
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http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2006/10/5/231889.html Ashes hero Gary signs on as football striker |
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Revision as of 16:55, 15 November 2006
Gary Pratt (born 22 December 1981, Bishop Auckland) is a Durham and England cricketer famous for the run out of Australian captain Ricky Ponting at Trent Bridge in the 2005 Ashes. This moment is remembered as perhaps the most important of all the turning points during the series, with Ponting looking well set for a big score at the time. The dismissal prompted an angry outburst from the batsman where he was seen shouting up at the England balcony towards Duncan Fletcher, unhappy at England's frequent use of substitute fielders during the series. Ironically, although England may have used substitute fielders to rest bowlers between spells, this appearance by Pratt was not among them. He was on for Simon Jones, who had been taken to hospital with an ankle injury.
He was later voted as the second best substitute ever after Ringo Starr in The Beatles and the run out earned him a place on the open top bus parade following the series victory. Pratt since the incident has acquired a small following of grateful English fans, including the 'honour' of having the pavillion in Sky's Cricket AM named the 'Gary Pratt Pavillion'.
Domestically, Pratt performed well in his early career, picking up the NBC Denis Compton Award in 1999 as the most promising young player at Durham CCC.
He was one half of the first pair of brothers to play in the same first-class game for Durham; Andrew Pratt was the other (older) brother. His younger brother Neil was also a Durham and MCC young cricketer.
Notable achievements for Gary include scoring 1,055 first-class runs in 2003, which has been far and away his best year as a cricketer. His highest score in cricket (first-class) is 150, achieved while batting for Durham v Northamptonshire at the Riverside in 2003. His highest one-day score is 101*, achieved for Durham v Somerset at Taunton in 2003. Although he did achieve the spectacular run out in 2005, he did not play a first-class game in 2005, only appearing in One-day cricket.
In August 2006, Durham announced that they had decided not to renew Pratt's contract.[1]
He has since appeared for Crook Town F.C. in a Northern League Division Two fixture against Brandon United F.C..[2] This is not the first time that Pratt has been involved with football; as a young man, he was a center forward for Sheffield Wednesday's junior team.
External links
Interview with the Guardian, August 2006 England's supersub brought back down to earth
The Northern Echo breaks news of Pratt swapping sports http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2006/10/5/231889.html Ashes hero Gary signs on as football striker