Maitland umpire Rod Porter umpires at Sydney Cricket Ground for Plan B Regional Bash

The opportunity came as Porter was called on to umpire the Plan B Regional Bash final at the state’s premier ground.

With fellow Hunter Valley umpire Gary Crombie as his partner, Porter made the calls in the grand final match between Orana Outlaws and Northern Rivers Rock.

The Regional Big Bash is a T20 competition which incorporates rural teams from around the state.

The Hunter Hitmen are Maitland’s local team, with several Maitland district players having graced the line-up.

With only a couple of years umpiring experience under his belt, it was one of biggest matches Porter has been involved in.

The Maitland district go-to-guy said he got through the game without any hiccups.

This was backed up by the live Bar TV recording, which was displayed on the big screen at the event.

After Porter and Crombie made judgement calls during the game, they were replayed on the screen for the whole crowd to see.

“Thankfully they came back all good,” Porter said with a laugh.

It wasn’t the first time Porter had been at the ground.

His cousin actually got married in the SCG members stand.

But it was Porter’s first time near the pitch, which left him in awe.

“It was sensational,” he said.

“There’s just such a big buzz.”

The Thornton man also had the opportunity to go into the umpires section and other parts of the stadium that are off-limits to spectators.

“It was quite an eye-opener,” he said.

The occasion was made even more special as he got to share it with his brother and two sons who were in the crowd.

Porter became an umpire four years ago, after a lifetime of involvement in cricket.

He said umpiring was something he always wanted to do, and after his playing days were behind him he decided to pursue it.

But as with most sports, making the calls isn’t as easy as it looks from the sidelines or on the playing field.

Porter said a lot of preparation goes into it, to understand the different rules and be ready for any situation that may arise during the match.

And even though he was well-experienced in the game, that didn’t necessarily qualify him for the job.

“There is a lot more to learn than you think you know,” he said.

And Porter said the players will let the umpires know if they aren’t up to date on the rules.

“Players will forgive you for an error in judgement,” he said.

“But they won’t forgive you if you make an error in the rules.”

Porter’s next big competition is the under 13/14 State Challenge at Wellington/Dubbo in January.