’You’ll need a hat trick to win’: Cricket umpire opens up about the historical event

Rod Cameron has been a part of cricket for 50 years and never in his life did he think he was going to witness a quadruple hat trick. He opens up about umpiring the historical event.

Rod Cameron has been a part of cricket for 50 years and never in his life did he think he was going to witness what happened between Mudgeeraba and Surfers Paradise.

The 58-year-old was the central umpire during the round six clash between the two clubs thinking he was going to have a pretty normal Saturday.

Instead he laid his eyes on an event that he claimed left him in ‘utter disbelief.’

Cameron said it is a story he will be able to tell for decades to come.

An incredulous Rod Cameron was the umpire during the miracle over between Mudgeeraba and Surfers Paradise where Gareth Morgan claimed six wickets in an over. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“I said to Gareth (Morgan) at the start of his over that he might need a hat trick here to help them win and well we now know he did way more than that,” Cameron said.

“It is just incredible, in my many years of cricket, I have been on hat tricks and never got them.

“I have witnessed so many players being on hat tricks and not getting them.

“Then Gareth comes out and does that, was just phenomenal.”

As the first two wickets fell, Cameron said to Gareth “well that’s two down,”

“He was bowling offies but he was just darting them in to hurry the batters into the shots.

“The opener was about 60 odd not out and they put the field back and he hauled out on the boundary.

“Then the next couple of guys just miss hit it and got caught.

“It is pretty tough coming in and having to score with no time to get yourself in.”

Cameron played cricket in New South Wales, playing first grade before a back injury during his 20s curtailed his playing career.

A self-diagnosed cricket tragic, Cameron took up umpiring in 2018 to get involved in the sport he loves once again.

After witnessing as an umpire two torn hamstrings and a broken hand in his first veteran’s game, Cameron thought to himself that he would not be making a comeback.

“It was a very surreal sort of experience, it was all happening but it was sort of unbelievable,” Cameron said.

“I got a mate in Thailand and he said he saw something online about it and messaged me.

“It is good, I am glad it has got out a bit because it really is incredible.

“Just a shame there wasn’t more people who were there that actually saw it first hand.”

At the other end of horror batting collapse: ‘It was very strange’

Nick Bouwmeester is the Surfers Paradise youngster who was left stranded at the non-strikers end while six of his teammates fell in an incredible over of cricket.

The right-hander walked out to bat against Mudgeeraba Nerang & Districts when the score was 4-163 in the third grade clash, little did he know he would witness one of the most extraordinary things anyone would have ever seen on a cricket field.

Bouwmeester hit four runs off the 39th over to bring his side within five runs of victory with one over to go.

The 15-year-old said he had faith in all the batters coming in.

“I thought Garlo’s (Jake Garland) shot was going for six when he hit it, (but I) just watched it go straight into the fielders hands,” Bouwmeester said.

Nick Bouwmeester – who was the batter at the non-strikers end during the batting collapse on Saturday. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“I wasn’t worried, everyone who came in after can definitely bat.

Of the second and third balls, he said “When Connor (Matheson) and Mike (Curtin) got out, I wasn’t worried.”

Veteran Wade McDougall was the fourth to fall.

Of the fifth and sixth ball which clean bowled his teammates, he said “I know Riley (Eckersley) was coming off a 70-odd the week before.

“(Then) Brodie (Phelan) was a bit unlucky because he just had to hit the six for us to win.”

Surfers Paradise were set 179 for victory against Mudgeeraba in the Cricket Gold Coast premier third grade competition.

They were sitting comfortably at 4-174 before Mudgee’s skipper, Gareth Morgan decided to bowl the last over.

As Morgan rolled his arm over, Bouwmeester watched as his teammates fell, one-by-one.

As the wickets fell, Bouwmeester thought to himself what is actually happening.

”It was definitely very strange, I didn’t say anything to the batters when they were coming out, there wasn’t much to really tell them,” Bouwmeester said.

“Even Mudgee, they weren’t really up and about out there because they knew they could still lose it.

“They cheered when they got the first hat-trick but they didn’t change the field or anything.

“A couple of my teachers said a few things to me on Monday but I can’t believe how big it got so quickly.

“Some of the Helensvale boys were talking about it on Sunday when they played our second grade team at home.”

It is the second time in cricket history that someone has claimed six wickets in an over but the first time on the Gold Coast.