A 24-hour cricket marathon will take place later this month, at the International Cricket Council’s Cricket Academy (ICC CA) in Dubai Sports City, in support of non-governmental medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Dubai’s longest ever game of cricket will be organized by Darjeeling CC – the UAE’s oldest cricket club, established in 1969 – in memory of long-standing former club member Simon Fowler, who passed away suddenly earlier this year.
The event will take place from 12 noon on Thursday, 20th November, until noon on Friday the 21st, with several consecutive matches being played continuously over a 24-hour period.
It will be first time a 24-hour cricketing marathon has ever been held in the UAE. The match is being supported by the ICC CA, and the Els Club, among others.
“Serving two purposes, this game of cricket will not only honour and remember the life of a committed, generous cricket lover and MSF supporter, but it will also ensure that in his memory MSF can continue to make a difference to the lives of people less fortunate across the Middle East,” said Mohamed Bali, Executive Director of MSF in the UAE.
The cricket marathon will conclude with a match between Darjeeling and a Dubai Celebrity XI from 8am – 12noon on Friday, 21st November.
The Celebrity XI, which will include members of the UAE national team, high profile local business figures and media celebrities will be captained by local broadcaster and cricket fanatic Tom Urquhart.
The final match will take place alongside a brunch and auction, where sporting memorabilia and more will be offered in support of MSF – a cause Simon Fowler dedicated much of his time to.
”We play at the ICC Academy every week and are grateful to them for allowing us to stage the event here. Simon was a much-liked member of our club, a wonderful cricketer and a great guy, and we couldn’t think of a better way to honour him. This is just the sort of thing he’d most want,” Chris Dommett, Club Captain of Darjeeling CC, said.
Anyone wishing to support the event in any way, should head to the Darjeeling Facebook page, website darjeelingcricket.com.
