Gary Pratt

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Career record First-class List A
Matches 53 78
Runs scored 2,410 1,749
Batting average 25.91 31.80
100s/50s 1/15 1/11
Top score 150 101*
Balls bowled 33 0
Wickets 0 0
Bowling average - -
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 n/a
Best Bowling - -
Catches/Stumpings - -
As of 24 November 2006
Source: Gary Pratt Player Profile at Cricinfo
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Gary Joseph Pratt (born 22 December 1981 in Bishop Auckland, United Kingdom) is an English cricketer and a footballer. He is primarily a left-handed batsman but also bowls right-arm off breaks. Pratt performed well in his early career, picking up the NBC Denis Compton Award in 1999 as the most promising young player at Durham County Cricket Club.[1] He stayed on at Durham, scoring more than 1000 first-class runs in 2003. Pratt has failed to match that form since. He did not play a single first-class game in 2005 (although he famously appeared as a substitute fielder for England) and in August 2006, Durham announced that they had decided not to renew Pratt's contract.[2] He has since appeared for Crook Town F.C. in a Northern League Division Two fixture against Brandon United F.C..[3] He has signed for Cumberland minor county cricket club for the 2007 cricket season.[4]

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[edit] Statistics and Records

Pratt's best year as a first class cricketer was undoubtedly 2003, when he scored 1,055 runs. His highest score in first-class cricket is 150, achieved while batting for Durham against Northamptonshire at the Riverside Ground in 2003. His highest one-day score is 101*, achieved for Durham versus Somerset at Taunton in 2003.[5]

[edit] Ponting Run Out

Pratt is most famous for his run out of Australian captain Ricky Ponting at Trent Bridge in the 2005 Ashes series.[6] This moment is remembered as one of the most important 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, who was seen shouting up at the England balcony towards Duncan Fletcher, unhappy at England's frequent use of substitute fielders during the series.[7] 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. The run out earned him a place on the open top bus parade following the series victory.[6]

Since the incident, Pratt has acquired a small following of grateful English fans. He had the doubtful honour of having the pavilion in Sky TV's Cricket AM named the 'Gary Pratt Pavilion'. England fan organisation the Barmy Army planned to fly Pratt out to Australia for the 2006-07 Ashes series as a good-luck charm, but failed to find sponsorship for his plane fare.[8]

[edit] Trivia

  • As a young man, Pratt was a centre forward for Sheffield Wednesday's junior team.
  • Pratt was one 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.
  • Gary now manages a self-storage company in Bishop Aukland.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The NBC Denis Compton Awards, Cricinfo, retrieved 24 November 2006.
  2. ^ Pratt released by Durham, Cricinfo County News, 25 August 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  3. ^ Ashes hero Pratt gets another run-out ... at football, The Times, 6 October 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  4. ^ Ponting's nemesis signs for county North-West Evening Mail; February 12, 2007; accessed February 12, 2007
  5. ^ Gary Pratt Player Profile, Cricinfo, retrieved 24 November 2006.
  6. ^ a b Ashes hero Gary signs on as football striker, The Northern Echo 5 October 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  7. ^ Ponting to attend disciplinary hearing, Cricinfo, 28 August 2005. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  8. ^ Barmy Army's lucky mascot plans fail, The Age, 7 October 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2006.

[edit] External links