Surfers Paradise, in Gold Coast’s premier league division three, had a seemingly straightforward task of scoring five runs with six balls left to win the match. However, the unexpected performance of Gareth Morgan resulted in one of the most unbelievable and improbable endings in cricket history.

The Australian captain led his team to an incredibly unlikely win by taking six wickets in the last over. One of his victims was a sports journalist who had to report on the extraordinary accomplishment.

The captain of the Mudgeeraba third grade cricket team made the decision to join the bowling lineup towards the end of their match against Surfers Paradise on Saturday. Surfers Paradise only needed five runs to secure a win, with six wickets still available.

Morgan told the Gold Coast Bulletin that he did not want the younger bowlers to be discouraged if they allowed the winning runs to be scored, as they had been bowling exceptionally well. He wanted to avoid them feeling responsible for the outcome.

“I realized that I had some extra overs available, so I chose to bowl from that direction and assign one of our younger fast bowlers to the other end.”

Despite Surfers Paradise having a solid start at four for 174, they suffered a dramatic collapse and were eventually all out for the same score, resulting in a miraculous four-run win for Mudgeeraba. Morgan’s impressive performance of seven for 16 contributed to the outcome.

The initial player to get out in the last round was Jake Garland, a journalist for the nearby newspaper. He was eliminated from the game after scoring 65 runs. Garland stated that he began the over feeling confident of winning.

Morgan entered the field and quickly hit the ball, but it was not strong enough for me to hit it hard. I hit it towards the middle, making it look like it was going to score six runs and win the game…but only for a brief moment. Instead, it went straight into the hands of a fielder at deep mid-wicket.

Although I was in disbelief, I wasn’t too concerned since there were still five wickets remaining.

The second out was once again caught near the middle on the field, while Morgan’s three consecutive wickets were achieved through a difficult opportunity at a short mid-wicket position. His fourth wicket was a catch to the point area.

At that point, Mudgeeraba had taken control of the game, leaving Surfers Paradise with only two wickets and a need for five runs. Morgan emphasized the importance of the team maintaining their concentration.

He stated, “Despite all the players jumping and celebrating, we must remember that we are still one hit away from losing.”

Morgan ultimately accomplished it on his own. The fifth and sixth wickets were taken down by a bowler.

The winning captain shared a humorous moment from the game, recalling how the umpire joked that they needed a hat-trick to secure victory. To their surprise, the hat-trick actually happened and the umpire just gave them a knowing look.

Garland expressed shock at the collapse of his side, while the reporter remained tactful in their loss.

“Gareth Morgan has achieved an impressive feat of scoring four consecutive goals,” he announced. “Captain Morgan deserves a standing ovation.”

Morgan was the highest scorer for Mudgeeraba, hitting 39 runs in 38 deliveries.

Source: theguardian.com