ENGLAND may have impressed against New Zealand at Trent Bridge this week – but the real star was a father-of-two with brilliant bowling skills.
Chris Newell bagged a £50,000 prize after successfully completing a cricketing challenge in front of the 16,000-strong crowd.
He was set the challenge of bowling and hitting three stumps, then two stumps and finally one single stump in successive balls.
The 50-year-old claimed not to have played properly for 20 years – but his efforts led Michael Vaughan to joke on Twitter that Australia may now call the fan into their squad.
He even drew a stunned England squad out of their dressing room and onto the balcony.
Mr Newell, from Sheffield, said: "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.
"My wife was in the car when I called, with my two sons.
"They were all cheering and screaming when I told them."
He added: "I'm originally from Yorkshire so I guess there's a bit of the old Fred Truman in there somewhere.
"My boys both play for Herefordshire."
When asked what he would do with the money, Mr Newell replied he would be spending a part of it on more cricket.
"If we can get tickets we'll go to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG later this year, but if not then the Caribbean," he said.
