A friend of England substitute fielder Gary Pratt has won more than £3,000 after betting he would one day play Test cricket, it emerged today.

Neil Stoker, who went to school with the Durham cricketer, wagered £100 at 33/1 that his former school pal would play for England.

The 26-year-old, from Crook, County Durham, is now celebrating a windfall of £3,400 after bookmakers William Hills bent their rules to pay out.

Graham Sharpe, from Hills, said: ''Strictly speaking we wouldn't have expected to pay out on Neil's bet until Gary Pratt won a cap for starting an England match, but given the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his unexpected starring role when he ran Ponting out, we thought it would be a little churlish not to pay out.

''Gary is a Newcastle fan and says that his winnings will pay for his season ticket for a couple of years to come.''

Pratt's performance as 12th man during the fourth test at Trent Bridge arguably won the Ashes for England, as he controversially ran out Aussie skipper Ricky Pointing, allowing England to take a 2-1 lead into the final test.

Ponting was so incensed at being out that he launched into a foul-mouthed tirade against England's frequent use of substitute fielders, which cost him a £3,750 fine.

Pratt, from Bishop Auckland, is known throughout first class cricket as one of the finest fielders in the game. However, the 23-year-old batsman has played only limited overs cricket this season, having failed to break into Durham's county championship four-day side.