PLAYING cricket for almost two days takes a Herculean feat of strength, and that’s exactly what was shown on Saturday and Sunday by local residents who were attempting a world record to raise funds for Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC). What’s more, through the initiative, they were able to raised more than R50 000.
Prestondale resident, Nick Ferreira, who organised the event, took on the challenge with several of his mates to make up the team of the East Coast Eagles, which played against 30 different teams. They attempted to break the current Guinness World Record for the most hours of non-stop cricket played by one team.
“It has been a really tough 36 hours but every ball and every run have been worth all the pain because we did it together. The amount of support we received in the build-up and during the challenge itself was overwhelming. Not only have we achieved a pretty extraordinary feat, but we also managed to surpass our fundraising target for CHOC of more than R50 000, and that’s what this event has really been all about.
“We are so grateful to all the sponsors and teams who donated towards this worthy cause, it felt like we had the whole of Durban behind us. I am also incredibly proud of and thankful to every member of my team and their families who helped behind the scenes – three team members flew in from Poland, Korea and the UK to help us achieve this epic milestone,” he said.
As part of the criteria required to validate this Guinness World Record attempt, the East Coast Eagles team will submit the video footage taken recording their 36-hour cricket marathon. Visit www.eastcoastchallenge.co.za for more information.