Worcestershire seamer Josh Tongue has made his England Test debut against Ireland at Lord's and net family friend Tim Piper a whopping £50,000 in the process.
Tongue was drafted into England's squad as injury cover for James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, having impressed for the England Lions when they toured Sri Lanka last weekend.
The 25-year-old also made headlines when he became the first player to dismiss Australia's star batter Steve Smith during his brief pre-Ashes County Championship stint with Sussex. And he was a surprise pick for the Ireland Test, having been selected ahead of veteran Chris Woakes.
Piper, who played cricket with Tongue's father Phil at their local club Redditch, is set for a huge payout after placing £100 on him to play Test cricket for England when he was just 11 at odds of 500-1. "I've kept the bet slip in a cupboard all these years," Piper told BBC Sport.
"I just thought to myself 'it must be worth £100'. If he doesn't make it, he'd make us proud anyway. This is just a bonus for him to get in the Test team."
Piper first saw Tongue in action when he joined his father at Redditch Cricket Club as a child, but it was not as a seamer that he impressed Piper. "It was amazing. There was this little kid who bowled leg-spin, googlies and top-spinners. It was like Shane Warne," he added.
Piper kept an eye on Tongue as he developed into a seamer and joined Worcestershire's academy at the age of six, before placing the bet with Coral when he was 11. Despite an impressive start to his professional career with the county, Tongue suffered with injuries and even considered retiring from the sport altogether due to a persistent shoulder injury.
However, after visiting a third shoulder specialist who suggested he have Botox injections in his shoulder, Tongue appears to have overcome the worst of his injury problems. "The betslip says 'to play a Test match for England'," Piper continued.
"He had all those injuries, but I never gave up on him. I kept thinking 'maybe it can happen'. These last two weeks have been a mad turnaround. Test cricketers don't come from Redditch. It just doesn't happen. If he gets a five-for and goes on the honours board at Lord's it will be absolutely wonderful."
