The greatest game in the world

The highest cricket match in the world has kicked off.

‘Mount Kili Madness’, a revolutionary cricket match played at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and conceived by Fairland resident Aliya Bauer will take place on 4 October.

South African cricketing legend Makhaya Ntini and England cricketer Ashley Giles have joined other cricketers at the foot of 5149m Mount Kili on 27 September already.

“It will take them seven days to reach the mountain summit, and then the cricket match of a lifetime will be played,” Bauer’s mother said on 30 September.

“They’re already halfway up the mountain.”

The challenge will also raise funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK, Tusk Trust and Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation.

Bauer became part of the challenge when she decided to give Raymond Kamogelo and Robert Moloisane, two ace Alexandra Township cricket players a chance to be part of the adventure.

“It is my dream that they reach new heights and to be part of the record books,” Bauer said.

The current record for the world’s highest game is 5165 metres, played in the Himalayas at Everest Base Camp in Nepal in 2009. If

successful, the game on Kilimanjaro will be more than 600 metres higher.

Before starting the climb, Ntini said this would be his hardest test. “This is going to be like going back to the old days, playing a game in the

dust in the rural areas, when you didn’t care where you played because you were just crazy for the game,” Ntini, who played 101 test

matches and took 390 test wickets for South Africa said.

“That will be the greatest of things.”