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HOBART - A Melbourne cricket spectator who took a one-handed catch in the crowd while talking on his cellphone has risen to cult hero status in Australia.
Firefighter Paul Houeix went from random punter at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to nationwide fame when he casually caught a six from Australian batsman Adam Gilchrist during a tri-series match against England last Friday.
Showing an aptitude for commentary as well as fielding, he talked his friend through the whole act on the phone while the cameras zeroed in on his jubilant celebrations.
The catch was still being replayed from all angles on television today.
"As it was coming down I said 'mate it's coming towards me, I might catch this'," he told Channel Nine's breakfast television show today.
"I'm holding the phone, I've swapped hands and I've put the mitt out and I've caught it. That's why I was jumping up and down a little bit, I said 'mate I've caught it, can you see me?"
He could, along with the whole cricket-watching country.
Gilchrist had clubbed the delivery from England's Andrew Flintoff about 10 rows back over long on.
Houeix saw it coming, stood up and without missing a beat switched the phone to his left hand while holding it to his right ear, before grasping the ball in his right hand.
"It was like glue, it just stuck to the mitt.
"I had to hang up, I couldn't hear anything afterwards. I got about 50,000 text messages and calls after that. I was on the phone for about the next two hours."
And his hero status extended to his young son who he'd taken to the MCG for his first live cricket match and stood by while dad became the most popular member of the crowd.
Houeix said he was a former wicketkeeper who'd played cricket for a few years but given it away.
He'd been involved in fighting the Victorian bushfires before Christmas and expected a callup to return to duty later in the summer.
- NZPA
