Jonathan Trott's run-out during the Ashes decider at The Oval has bagged the photographer, Gareth Copley, a notable prize © PA Photos

The PA cricket photographer, Gareth Copley, has been announced as the winner of the sports action category in the prestigious World Press Photo contest, after his shot of Jonathan Trott being run out during the 2009 Ashes decider at The Oval was deemed the best entry in its category from a field of more than 100,000 photos.

“I knew the results would be announced today, so I looked on the internet, checked my emails and saw this,” a shocked Copley told the British Journal of Photography.

A regular member of the touring England press pack, Copley was named as the SJA British Sports Photographer of the Year back in 2007, but until today his real claim to fame was his jinx-like tendencies on overseas tours. Until their victory at Durban this winter, England had never won an away Test match when Copley had been sat on the boundary.

According to the SJA newsblog, the judges awarded prizes to 63 photographers from 23 countries, after spending two weeks reviewing a record 101,960 photographs by 5,847 photographers, from 128 different nations.

Copley added that he always enters the contest, which is only open to professional photographers, in order to receive the annual book that is sent to all participants. This time, he will also be receiving a prize of 10,000 euro and a camera, which will be presented at a ceremony in Amsterdam on May 2.