It takes something a bit special for an Australian third grade cricketer to hit the headlines around the world – but Mudgeeraba’s Gareth Morgan has made the news across the cricketing globe after an incredible match-winning feat for his team last weekend.
Morgan, skippering Mudgeeraba Nerang & Districts Cricket Club against Surfers Paradise in the Gold Coast’s Premier League Division Three, took six wickets in six balls to secure an extraordinary last-over victory on Saturday.
Surfers were 4-174 needing five runs to win, with one over remaining at the Carrera Community Centre venue.
Morgan toyed with the idea of giving one of his young lads the ball, but then thought: ‘I’ll bowl — they can hit the winning runs off me, this younger fella doesn’t need that’.’
Off the first ball he had opener Jake Garland caught at mid-wicket for 65 trying to win to game with one hit.
Gold Coast cricketer Gareth Morgan has gone global after an incredible match-winning feat for his team
The paceman (pictured) snared six wickets from as many balls in the over of a lifetime versus Surfers Paradise
Next up Connor Matheson and Surfers’ captain Michael Curtin were also caught on the leg side to give Morgan a hat-trick.
‘I remember thinking after I got the hat-trick — I don’t want to lose this game now,’ Morgan told the ABC.
Wade McDougall was then caught at point before Riley Eckersley and Brodie Phelan were bowled, leaving non-striker Nicholas Bouwmeeter stranded at the other end in disbelief.
‘When I saw the stumps go back on the last ball I couldn’t believe it — I’ve never seen anything like it,’ Morgan said.
‘Everyone was going wild. It was incredible, I don’t think anyone could believe it had happened.’
Given the panic unfolding in the sheds as incoming batsmen scrambled for pads and gloves, it is surprising no one was timed out as happened to Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews at the ODI Cricket World Cup.
Morgan has since featured on the BBC in England and India’s The Hindu after his heroics
Morgan admitted one of his younger teammates did raise the subject – but Mudgeeraba didn’t follow Bangladesh’s example.
The news gradually spread far beyond Queensland. The BBC led the British outlets highlighting Morgan’s feat.
In India, The Hindu newspaper was one of many carrying the story. Websites as diverse as Reddit, Hong Kong-based BNN and North Carolina’s BVM also featured the yarn.
The most wickets taken in an over of professional cricket is five, achieved on three occasions: New Zealand’s Neil Wagner did so playing for Otago in 2011; Al-Amin Hossain for a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI in 2013; and Abhimanyu Mithun for Indian state side Karnataka in 2019.
