|
|
|
|
|
  |
|
Los Angeles the scene for world record challenge Gary Collier - 10 April 2001
Records, like rules, are inevitably made to be broken. Before they're broken, however, they need to be established. That is why on Saturday, April 28th, at St. Mark's School in Downey, Los Angeles, USA, Stephen Speak will attempt to establish a new world record for the most number of cricket deliveries faced in a 24-hour period. Beginning at 8am, using a combination of a bowling machine and volunteer cricketers, Speak will be endeavouring to create a new cricketing category for the Guinness Book of World Records and in the process raise money for a number of charities including U.S. Junior Cricket, St. Mark's School and the Lord's Taverners Trust, an organization based in England to help under-privileged children. How a cricket world record comes to be set in Los Angeles, of all places, is a story in itself. Speak, 29, who comes from Bolton in the north of England, was on the books of Lancashire CCC before moving to Long Beach six years ago. He now plays on the USA national team and coaches the under-13 national squad. During the week, he teaches cricket to his second grade students at St. Mark's, while on weekends he plays for Pegasus Cricket Club in the Southern California Cricket Association. Trying to introduce the sport of cricket to a bunch of Downey school kids reared on baseball, basketball and football might on the surface seem like a tough sell, but to Speak, who gave up a career as a professional cricketer to move to California, it was a natural decision. "I came to the States for personal reasons, but when I found cricket here I knew I could stay", said Speak. He was determined to impart his enthusiasm for the sport on his newly-adopted country, and when he became a second grade teacher at St. Mark's two years ago, he found that he had the perfect opportunity. To draw attention to the record attempt and raise the game's profile in the USA, Speak has organized an Open Day at St. Mark's. The day will include exhibitions of Kanga Cricket involving a number of local schools, video presentations of the professional game, a celebration of the history of American cricket as well as numerous stalls and a silent auction. The highlight of the day will be the world record attempt by Speak. In an event designed for both the cricket fan just the plain curious, it promises to be a fun day with the opportunity to be a part of history.
Quick Facts: Stephen will face over 10,000 deliveries. Breaks are allowed.....15 min every 8 hours! Last year Stephen hit 5,579 balls in a 12-hour period. All money raised goes to cricket related charities.
Get involved: Come down on the day and bowl your way into the record books. Support the silent auction by donating a lot to be auctioned. Forward this piece to other cricketers. Make a donation to be split three ways between US Junior Cricket, The Lord's Taveners Trust, and St. Mark's School.
For more information:
email cricketworldrecord@hotmail.com THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT
© CricInfo Ltd. |
|
|
| |||
|
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
|
