Battle of the Balls: Movember XI vs. the Alternative Commentary Collective

Eden Park, known locally as the Garden of Eden, has been the stage for some of New Zealand's most legendary sporting moments and sportspeople. To kick off Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, Movember XI teamed up with the Alternative Commentary Collective to bring to life the infamous cricket rivalry, “Battle of the Balls”.

The reason - getting together with mates.

The goal - victory.

The message - get to know your nuts.

Former All-Black skipper, Kieran Read was flown in by the ACC to lead this epic event due to his past experience playing at Eden Park - not to mention in front of a roaring crowd. His presence stirred up a juxtaposition of nervousness and excitement among the teams, as everyone had talked a big game in the lead-up to the match.

After winning the bat toss, Read did what all great leaders would do. He put the pads on and went out to bat with the walking run out, Jason Hoyte. For the next 30 minutes, it was pure carnage. Dai Henwood was up next as Hoyte’s latest run-out victim, resulting in a score of 26 - the lowest ever at Eden Park. The score passed six down, and by the ten over-drinks break - the ACC team were nine down with the lights not even close to being turned on.

A little-known fact is that G-lane, head of the ACC is particularly skilled with admin. Sighting a little-known competitive social cricket rule, 20/20 matches are in fact 20 overs vs. 20 overs. This meant that the ACC began to roll back through their batting order, creating scenes similar to a Saturday morning junior cricket match. This resulted in the ACC rallying to post a competitive score of 155 for 15.

The Movember XI felt confident that they could chase the runs and lead to a solid victory. However, the opportunity for the ACC to win their first match ever saw them put in an inspirational effort, which resulted in Movember XI finishing 143/5.

It was a truly fantastic match, cheered on by a crowd of Movember XI and ACC’s most loyal supporters. A huge thank you to Eden Park, for providing all players and guests in attendance with the opportunity to create some treasured memories they will never forget.

While the ACC left victorious, the true win was for Men’s health. Promoting the important message of Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, with mates - for mates.

Testicular cancer is the #1 cancer in younger guys. But good news: it's highly curable when caught early. Guys across the world are getting to know their nuts and you can too.

This Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, learn how to give your nuts a feel. Get to know what's normal for you. So if you notice a change - or that something doesn't feel right - you'll know to act on it.

Learn how to check your pair by heading here.