I have seen some strange things on a cricket field, but never have I seen that

In my 20-plus years of playing cricket, I had never seen someone claim six wickets in six balls until Saturday. And I had a front-row view - I was the first to fall.

In my 20-plus years of playing cricket, I had never seen someone claim six wickets in six balls until Saturday. And I had a front-row view - I was the first to fall.

Playing for Surfers Paradise we needed five runs to win off the final over against Mudgeeraba in premier third grade, with six wickets in hand. As I prepared to face up for the last over, I checked the field, knowing the bowler was the Mudgeeraba captain Gareth Morgan.

There were plenty of gaps and I had a pretty good feeling.

Jake Garland after his 65 from 60 balls in the round six match between Surfers Paradise and Mudgeeraba

He walked in, darted one but it was short enough for me to get plenty on it, middling it, flat and looked like it was sailing over the rope for six and the winning runs … for about half a second. It went straight down deep mid-wicket’s throat.

I couldn’t believe it, but I wasn’t too worried, with five wickets left. As I sat down I heard a shout of “catch it” and looked up to see the next batter Connor Matheson had been caught at mid-off.

OK, so four balls, five runs but the skipper is in now, we should be right. I think I jinxed him, as Michael Curtin popped one to short mid-wicket to become the hat-trick wicket.

OK, now we just need a couple of twos and a single to win. Wade McDougall was the next to go, leading edge to point, the Surfers camp in shock of what we were witnessing.

Young Riley Eckersley came to the crease, a lot of weight on this kid’s shoulders, but it wasn’t there for long as the yorker went through him, five wickets in five balls. Surely he couldn’t get six in six I thought to myself.

Young Brodie Phelan walked out to the crease. needing a four to draw, he swung hard at it and from where I was sitting it looked like he had edged it onto the stumps. Six wickets in six balls, we all sort of just looked at each other in disbelief. Gareth Morgan just claimed a quadruple hat-trick. Take a bow Captain Morgan.