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Thursday 6 June 2013

Fan holds his nerve to win £50,000 in bowl out

Cricket fan Chris Newell kept his cool in front of a crowd of more than 16,000 at Trent Bridge on Wednesday (June 5) to win £50,000 ($77,000).

Since November, the 50-year-old had known he would have the chance to win the money in a competition run by the sponsors, a cider-making firm.


And having been set the task of hitting three stumps, then two, and then one in successive deliveries in the mid-innings break of the third one-day international between England and New Zealand, Newell held his nerve by bowling a trio of accurate deliveries to claim the cash.

Asked about his bowling, Newell -- no relation of Nottinghamshire coach Mick Newell -- said: "Well I'm originally from Yorkshire, so I guess there's a bit of the old Fred Trueman in there somewhere.

"My boys both play for Herefordshire and I've been watching them to pick up some pointers. But I've not played properly for 20 years."

He added: "With the first ball all I wanted to do was try and hit the stumps, then I just wanted to repeat that with the second.

"When it came to the third I don't know, I was in a dream. The crowd were really helpful, and with that third ball I wanted to do it more for them than for me."

Newell said his family hadn't witnessed his feat at first hand but explained it didn't take him long to tell his wife.

"She was in the car when I called, with my two sons. They were all cheering and screaming when I told them."

Newell said he would use the money for a family holiday, ideally to witness England in Ashes action in Australia later this year.

"If we can get tickets, we'll go to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) later this year, but if not the Caribbean."

Before that series, England defend the Ashes against Australia on home soil, with the first Test at Trent Bridge next month.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan joked on Twitter that, having seen his bowling, Newell should be fast-tracked into Australia's squad.

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