Gary Pratt
Encyclopedia
Gary Joseph Pratt is an English cricket
er and a footballer. He is primarily a left-handed batsman but also bowls right-arm off break
s. 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
, and scored a century for England Under 19s 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. He has since appeared for Crook Town F.C.
in a Northern League Division Two fixture against Brandon United F.C.
He has signed for Cumberland
minor county cricket club for the 2007 cricket season.
in 2003. His highest one-day
score is 101*, achieved for Durham versus Somerset at Taunton
in 2003.
of Australian
captain Ricky Ponting
at Trent Bridge
in the 2005 Ashes series. 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. 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.
Since the incident, Pratt has acquired a small following of grateful English fans. He had the dubious honour of having the pavilion
in Sky Sport
'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.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and a footballer. He is primarily a left-handed batsman but also bowls right-arm off break
Off break
Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....
s. Pratt performed well in his early career, picking up the NBC Denis Compton Award
NBC Denis Compton Award
The NBC Denis Compton Award is an annual award given to 'The Most Promising Young Player' at each of the 18 English first-class counties. A player may receive the award more than once.-History:...
in 1999 as the most promising young player at Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
, and scored a century for England Under 19s 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. He has since appeared for Crook Town F.C.
Crook Town F.C.
Crook Town Association Football Club is an English football club based in Crook, County Durham. The club are currently members of Division Two of the Northern League and play at the Sir Tom Cowie Millfield. The club won the FA Amateur Cup five times during its history.-History:Crook Town Football...
in a Northern League Division Two fixture against Brandon United F.C.
Brandon United F.C.
Brandon United F.C. are an English football club based at the Welfare Ground in Brandon, near Durham, County Durham.Originally formed as Sunday league team called Rostrons, they joined the Third Division of the Durham & District Sunday League in 1968–69...
He has signed for Cumberland
Cumberland County Cricket Club
Cumberland County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Cumberland and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
minor county cricket club for the 2007 cricket season.
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 GroundRiverside Ground
The Riverside Ground, officially called the Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground, is a cricket venue in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England. It is home to Durham County Cricket Club....
in 2003. His highest one-day
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
score is 101*, achieved for Durham versus Somerset at Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
in 2003.
Ponting Run Out
Pratt is most famous for his run outRun out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
of Australian
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
captain Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
in the 2005 Ashes series. 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
Dismissal (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...
prompted an angry outburst from the batsman, who was seen shouting up at the England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
balcony towards Duncan Fletcher
Duncan Fletcher
Duncan Andrew Gwynne Fletcher OBE is a former Zimbabwean cricketer, formerly captain of the Zimbabwean cricket team and the current coach of the Indian Cricket Team. He has been appointed as coach of the Indian Cricket Team on April 27, 2011...
, 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
Simon Jones (cricketer)
Simon Philip Jones MBE is a Welsh cricketer, who played internationally for England. Formerly playing his county cricket for Glamorgan County Cricket Club and then Worcestershire before moving in September 2009 to Hampshire. He is currently on a month's loan with his first county, Glamorgan...
, who had been taken to hospital with an ankle injury. The run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
earned him a place on the open top bus parade following the series victory.
Since the incident, Pratt has acquired a small following of grateful English fans. He had the dubious honour of having the pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
in Sky Sport
SKY Sport
Sky Sport is a group of nine sports satellite TV channels in Italian language produced and broadcast by Sky Italia.-Sky Sport 1:Sky Sport 1 is an association football -dedicated TV channel...
's Cricket AM
Cricket AM
Cricket AM is a Saturday-morning cricket-based television programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports 1. It began broadcasting in May 2006, and is largely based on its successful football-related counterpart Soccer AM, as a replacement during the football off-season...
named the 'Gary Pratt Pavilion'. England fan organisation the Barmy Army
Barmy Army
The Barmy Army is a semi-organised group of English cricket fans which arranges touring parties for some of its members to follow the English cricket team on overseas tours...
planned to fly Pratt out to Australia for the 2006-07 Ashes series
2006-07 Ashes series
The 2006–07 cricket series between Australia and England for the Ashes was played in Australia from 23 November 2006 to 5 January 2007. Australia won the series and regained the Ashes that had been lost to England in the 2005 Ashes series...
as a good-luck charm, but failed to find sponsorship for his plane fare.
External links
- Cricinfo Player profile
- England's supersub brought back down to earth, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.