Alby Shale (OD 2004) recently set a new Guinness World Record of 26 hours for the longest individual cricket net. The challenge came about in order to raise money for the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation to build the first dedicated international cricket ground in Rwanda. The charity was set up in memory of Alby’s father.
After leaving the Dragon School Alby moved on to Radley College and then gained a 2:1 degree in Politics from Newcastle University. He is currently interning at a boutique investment bank, Dexion Capital, in London. He will shortly be heading out to Rwanda for the next element of this remarkable challenge. The tragic death of his father, a businessman and conservative politician, a couple of years ago have undoubtedly shaped his motivation and determination. We wish him well in his future endeavours.
So, how does it feel to be a World Record Holder?
It is an amazing feeling, sadly I won’t have much time to enjoy my new title as the Aussie whose record I broke is attempting a 30 hour cricket net in November. Who said the Aussies aren’t competitive?
Can you explain what the challenge was and where the idea came from?
I had to bat for 26 hours straight, with 5 minute intervals every hour, at the Kia Oval in London. The previous record stood at 25 hours. We were also, of course, attempting to take the record off an Australian in a double Ashes year.
What inspired you to take on the challenge?
I did this to raise awareness for the Rwandan Cricket Stadium Foundation, which my brother and I set up two years ago in memory of my father. He said he wanted to build a Rwandan Cricket Stadium that they would be proud of and we will do just that. This will be his legacy.
Would you say it was hard? (I believe Mr Pickup was bowling at you for some of it so it can’t have been that difficult!?)
Honestly it was tough, the only thing I can compare it to is the London marathon. The marathon was 4 hours, the cricket net was 26 hours. The marathon took me a day or so to recover from, the cricket net took 5 days. I had cricket balls coming at me in my sleep for about a week. Everyone has asked if I could have gone on and honestly I could have – I had my dad as my inspiration, and not once did I think about throwing in the towel.
What do you hope will happen as a result of the record?
We have achieved exactly what we set out to do. We wanted to raise awareness for the Foundation, and we did just that. At one point we were trending third on Twitter internationally. People drove down from Birmingham after reading it on Twitter just to be a part of it. I was invited on Test Match Special, during the Ashes, to talk about my record to 1.3 million listeners. This, amongst other things, helped us raise £15,000 in two weeks! I get to call myself a Guinness World Record holder, but this wasn’t about me. Hundreds of people now know what we are trying to achieve, which we hope will help us raise the £200,000 we need to reach our target.
Have you any more challenges in mind for the future?
We are in the process of organising a bike ride from Old Trafford to Trent Bridge, from Trent Bridge to the Oval and from the Oval to Lords. All in one go. There is also a serious possibility of a Rwandan (secretly) attempting to break the Aussies 30 hour cricket net…
Did you enjoy playing sport at the Dragon?
Loved it. Whether it was mid-week cross country with a rewarding Kit Kat at the finish, or rugby 7’s with Mr Jones and Mr Dow. My fondest memories of the Dragon were on the sports field.
If so, how important do you think sport in schools is?
Hugely. The main thing I miss about school is playing sport on a regular basis.
