Gary Pratt

Gary Joseph Pratt (born 22 December 1981) is an English cricketer and footballer, best known for running out the Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting while appearing as a substitute fielder for England during the 2005 Ashes series. Pratt is primarily a left-handed batsman but also bowls right-arm off breaks.

Gary Pratt

Personal information
Full name	Gary Joseph Pratt
Born	(1981-12-22) 22 December 1981 Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England
Nickname	Gonzo, Gazza, Gates
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Batting	Left-hand batsman
Bowling	Right arm off break
Role	Batsman, occasional wicketkeeper
Relations	Andrew Pratt (brother)
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2000–2006	Durham (squad no. 16)
First-class debut	19 July 2000 Durham v Lancashire
Last First-class	7 June 2006 Durham v Warwickshire
List A debut	13 September 2001 Durham Cricket Board v Buckinghamshire
Last List A	25 June 2006 Durham v Derbyshire
Career statistics
Competition FC List A T20 U–19 Matches 53 78 25 11 Runs scored 2410 1749 321 700 Batting average 25.91 31.80 14.59 41.17 100s/50s 1/15 1/11 0/1 2/2 Top score 150 101* 62* 188 Balls bowled 33 – – 30 Wickets 0 – – 0 Bowling average – – – – 5 wickets in innings – – – – 10 wickets in match – – – – Best bowling 0/2 – – 0/10 Catches/stumpings 31/0 31/0 8/0 6/0
Source: CricketArchive, 5 September 2008

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] and scored a century for England Under 19s.[2] 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.[3] He has since appeared for Crook Town F.C. in a Northern League Division Two fixture against Brandon United F.C.[4] He signed for Cumberland minor county cricket club for the 2007 cricket season.[5]

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.[6]

Ponting run out

Pratt is most famous for his run out of Australian captain Ricky Ponting at Trent Bridge in the 2005 Ashes series.[7][8] Brought on to field as a substitute, Pratt was fielding at cover when Damien Martyn tapped the ball in his direction and attempted a quick single. Pratt duly threw down the stumps at the striker's end with Ponting considerably short of his ground. 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.[9][7] Ironically, although England may have used substitute fielders to rest bowlers between spells, this appearance by Pratt was not among them: he was replacing Simon Jones, who had been taken to hospital with an ankle injury;[10] it was to be Jones' last test. The run out earned him a place on the open top bus parade following the series victory.[8]

Since the incident, Pratt has acquired a small following of grateful English fans. He had the dubious honour of having the pavilion in Sky Sports' 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.[11]

Pratt felt that the event that thrust him into the cricketing limelight was also the one that quickened his dramatic fall from grace, ignoring his skill with the bat: "I was just known for fielding afterwards, and I didn't really want that." As of 2010 he was working at a cricketing equipment shop[10] and as of 2017 skippers Cumberland,[12] where he has scored ten Championship hundreds.[13]

References

1. The NBC Denis Compton Awards, Cricinfo. Retrieved on 24 November 2006.
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/1494934.stm
3. Pratt released by Durham, 25 August 2006, Cricinfo. Retrieved on 24 November 2006.
4. Ashes hero Pratt gets another run-out ... at football, 6 October 2006, The Times. Retrieved on 24 November 2006.
5. Ponting's nemesis signs for county Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, 12 February 2007, North-West Evening Mail. Retrieved on 12 February 2007.
6. Gary Pratt Player Profile, Cricinfo. Retrieved on 24 November 2006.
7. Ricky Ponting Run Out By Sub Fielder Gary Pratt: Trent Bridge 2005 Ashes - Live Coverage on YouTube, England & Wales Cricket Board
8. "Ashes hero Gary signs on as football striker". The Northern Echo. Newsquest Media Group. 5 October 2006. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
9. Ponting to attend disciplinary hearing, 28 August 2005, Cricinfo. Retrieved on 24 November 2006.
10. Williams, Josh (26 November 2010). "Ponting drama stirs mixed emotions in Pratt". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
11. Barmy Army's lucky mascot plans fail, 17 October 2006 The Age. Retrieved on 24 November 2006.
12. "Gary Pratt". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
13. "Cumberland CCC". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 29 November 2017.

External links

• Gary Pratt at ESPNcricinfo
• England's supersub brought back down to earth, The Guardian.