FOR THE LOVE OF CRICKET

On Tuesday evening, ahead of schedule, Jon Alger arrived back home in La Marina after his epic walk from Madrid.

We told in the Leader a few weeks ago about how Jon was facing a 520km trek home from Madrid where he had been on an umpire course, but his crazy plan was all in aid of a good cause – to raise much needed funds for the San Fulgencio Cricket Club.

Speaking to the Leader just days before he set off he knew it was going to be tough, but was it as hard as he had expected? “Harder! It was horrendous,” said a weary but delighted Jon just minutes after getting back on home soil where friends and family were waiting for him at Ananda's Bar, urbanisation La Marina.

“It was impossible because no matter how much planning you put in to it, the paths just stop, there's building work, there's train lines… I've had to go up embankments and run across motorways, I've had to do so much illegal stuff it's ridiculous but it was the only thing I could do to get back.” With 30lbs of kit to carry along the way, there was pressure on Jon's body before he even took his first step and he soon ditched any equipment he thought he could do without.

Jon continues, “I was having trouble with my feet after about three days so I cut out the calling through as many villages as I wanted and just came straight down the 301 and I've been on there for about 5 days.”

A highlight of the trip came late on when a truck driver pulled over on the motorway, got out of his van, said he was a little strange and gave him a fiver! Something so simple, but Jon said it came at a time when he was really struggling, “I've walked 32 hours in the last 35 just to get back and in the last few days I haven't seen anything I've just had my head down because I didn't want to wake up one morning and realise I couldn't carry on.

Jon arrived back shortly after 7pm last Tuesday evening to a much needed pint, but it came after a final day of panicking for his friends and family who, after realising he was so close had driven to meet him in the Crevillente area but Jon was nowhere to be seen. His mobile phone battery was down so no one could contact him or knew where he was.

“The battery went flat and I was completely stranded so I just took off for home” said Jon who was not aware people had come to meet him and were trying to find him.

But despite everything, Jon's efforts will hopefully raise over a thousand euros for the cricket club he coaches and is so passionate about. “We run as a professional club and last year spent 3,000€ and the travel is the main expense.

Cricket is very expensive but with the funding we get from Cricket España and the equipment they provide and the fundraising we do, we do provide free cricket. The only thing they have to pay is a contribution towards the transport to get them to games and by raising money I hope to reduce those costs.”

For more information about the San Fulgencio Cricket Club or to make a donation, call Jon on 605 528 652.