HARLOW cricketer James Butler bowled and batted his way into the record books after competing in the highest match of team sport ever played, on the Gorak Shep plateau in the shadow of Mount Everest.

Butler was invited to take part in the expedition and asked to raise £1,500 for the Lords Taverners and the Himalayan Trust, while he had to find the same amount again for all the necessary equipment.

He joined over 50 people to embark on the six day trek to the plateau, located at 16,945ft and just one kilometre away from Everest’s base camp.

There, locals had prepared a pitch fit to stage a 20 over game of cricket, clearing rocks with pick axes, before a plastic wicket was rolled out, ready for one of the most incredible sporting events ever played.

The idea for the match was concocted by expedition leader Richard Kirtley, who was inspired to play there after noticing that the plateau bore a striking resemblance to the Oval. Butler was selected for Team Tenzing, and while he managed to claim a wicket, he couldn’t prevent the side from losing to Team Hillary – both named after the first two men to climb Everest.

Several members of the party were left on drips as altitude sickness began to take its toll on the ascent. Fortunately, Butler reached the plateau unscathed, although he insists it was far from straightforward.

“On the second day we had to make a vertical climb of 800m,” he said. “I thought, that’s just two laps of an athletics track, but it was so tough and certainly the most difficult part of the ascent.”

When the game got underway, the local cricketer assumed the role of wicketkeeper, before swapping the gloves for the ball, and managing to take the wicket of Chelmsford’s first XI captain Will Simmons.

He didn’t fare so well with the bat, however, as he lasted just three balls, edging one behind to the keeper without scoring.

Nevertheless, he joined in the champagne celebrations afterwards and maintains the adventure was ‘one of the most exciting experiences of my life’.

“It really opened my eyes to a different world,” he said. “It was absolutely brilliant and a fantastic experience.

“I was in two minds about whether to do it or not when I was first asked, but I’m so glad I did.

“I forked out £1,500 from my own pocket in order to take part, and it was well worth the money.

“I’ve managed to raise more than £1,800 in sponsorship, and that will hopefully rise to £2,000. It’s been amazing, but I certainly wouldn’t do it again!”