Sportsmen attempt to play the highest cricket match on Kilimanjaro
In September 2014, 30 cricket players and officials spent eight days trekking to the summit of Kilimanjaro in a bid to play the world’s highest cricket match.
My Quick Takeaways:
In September 2014, a group of cricket enthusiasts set a new world record by playing the highest-altitude cricket match on Mount Kilimanjaro.
- Record-Breaking Altitude: The match took place at an elevation of 5,752 metres (18,871 feet) above sea level, surpassing the previous record held by a 2009 match near Everest Base Camp at 5,165 metres.
- Notable Participants: The game featured former England spinner Ashley Giles, South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, and England women's vice-captain Heather Knight, among others.
- Challenging Conditions: Players endured an eight-day trek to the summit, contending with thin air, freezing temperatures, and the physical demands of high-altitude cricket.
- Match Outcome: The Gorillas, led by Heather Knight, scored 82 for 5, defeating Ashley Giles' Rhinos, who managed 64 for 9 in a 10-over match curtailed by inclement weather.
- Charitable Cause: The event aimed to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation, and Tusk, a wildlife conservation charity.
This extraordinary feat highlights the participants' dedication to both their sport and charitable causes, demonstrating that with determination, even the most ambitious goals can be achieved. Inspired to combine adventure with philanthropy? Let's make it happen!
The team consisted of a number of famous players including former England player and current limited overs coach, Ashley Giles, as well as former South African fast bowler, Makhaya Ntini.
Clare Connor, the former England women’s captain and Heather Knight, a current English women’s cricketer also took part in the world's highest cricket match, along with a number of players from Australia, South Africa, Kenya and Canada.
The group of 30 players and officials had a large support crew of porters and guides who helped carry cricket gear and a pitch mat up the mountain for what might very well be the highest cricket match ever played.
The highest cricket match is done 'Twenty20 Style' on Kilimanjaro
The group first summited before descending back down to the relatively flat landscape of Crater Camp which sits just below Uhuru Peak.
From here, the teams separated and a full Twenty20 cricket match was played, with official umpires.
Balls travel much further at altitude, so the team carried 24 additional cricket balls to make up lost shots during the highest cricket match.
Giles tweeted from the pitch: ‘This is absolutely incredible! We are playing cricket on the summit of Africa!’
The match has yet to be ratified by authorities, but once it has been, it will officially break the previous record of the world's highest cricket match, set near Everest Base Camp in 2009 by nearly 600 meters.
Please Note: While climbing Kilimanjaro is relatively safe, there are still some risks that could severely impact your health like altitude sickness and respiratory difficulties.
Read more in my guide on Kilimanjaro Deaths for the best ways to mentally and physically prepare yourself for the trek.
The game proved tough for many of the players as exertion at altitude is very demanding.
But the time taken early on in the trek to acclimatise for the highest cricket match helped prevent any serious issues of altitude sickness that can occur on Kilimanjaro.
The group used the record-breaking event to raise money for cancer research, as well as for the African Wildlife Conservation charity, Tusk Trust.
Some of the money will also be used to help build Rwanda’s first international cricket pitch.
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My Final Thoughts
And there you have it: The highest cricket match played on Mount Kilimanjaro. What do you think? Would you like to play a sport on Kilimanjaro? Let me know in the comments below.
Read more interesting and inspiring Kilimanjaro news here:
- 85 year-old Robert Wheeler becomes oldest person to climb Kilimanjaro
- Shaun Gash, a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, sets his sights on Kilimanjaro
- Norma Brewer's fake Kilimanjaro obituary tricks the media
- Inner-city teenagers receive a blessing climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
- Drone ascends summit of Kilimanjaro
