14 DAY TRIAL // Honister Slate Mine from Lake District, Cumbria witnessed the world's first underground cricket game between two village teams from Threlkeld and Caldbeck, from the north-west part of England.
The stakes were set high as the two teams battled in an 11-mile (17.70 kilometers) long network of underground tunnels from underneath a mountain. The match was used as a fundraiser for one of the towns, after being devastated by floods in 2012.
The village cricket teams were made from “farmers, shopkeepers, caravan site owners, outdoor pursuit instructors and cafe owners,” battling for the first “underground glory,” according to Daily Mail. The spot chosen for the match was a cavern 2,000 feet (609 meters) below the ground.
The match was won by the Caldbeck village team after they “scored 28 runs with one over and four balls to spare,” notes Daily Mail. Threlkeld has previous experience in winning “extreme cricket” matches after they played underwater, on a mountain, on the back of a Steam train or on a frozen tarn wicket.
The first underground battle was organized to raise funds in order to fix Threlkeld's Cricket Club ground, damaged after the 2012 floods. The Club's pitch was ruined after the waters gathered all the rubbish on the field, and set back the team's practice program. Not only was the field used for the team's practice, it was also the town's favorite spot for local events.
The cost involved in repairing the damages was too high for the town council to cover by itself. Moreover, the field was not attached to the official structure of the town, making it almost impossible to be rebuilt from public funds, so the team decided to pitch in by raising money with extreme cricket games.
The floods affected a big number of places in the area, which are now slowly being rebuilt. After the disaster, the cricket field was left with tones of stones, gravel, and debris scattered all over the ground, making it impossible for anyone to play.