Choughed to be on top of Europe; Fiona Ennys watches the world's highest cricket match in the snows of the Alps.

Byline: Fiona Ennys

T was all a bit surreal.

IBecause the last thing you expect to see when you''re 11,333ft up a Swiss mountain is, well, a cricket match.

But there they were, some of the best-known names in the cricketing world, merrily playing away, watched by hundreds of fans and tourists who were perched on terraced seats carved from glacial snows.

Cool, in more than one sense of the word.

The match - a five-overs, six-a-side game between England and India all-stars teams to mark Indian Independence Day - was the first time an international cricket match had been played on snow almost 4,000 plus metres up a mountain!

And so up to the crease - laid out on false turf (flown in specially from India) on Europe''s longest glacier and surrounded by the mighty Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains - came the players.

They included former international Chris Broad, father of current Ashes star Stuart; India hero Kapil Dev; four times England captain John Emburey, former West Indies skipper Allvin Kallicharran, Lancs and India hero Farokh Engineer and former India skipper Mansur Ali Khan (Tiger) Pataudi They walked - well, Engineer hitched a ride on a snowmobile - the half-mile to the pitch through deep snow from the Jungfrau Railway''s mountain stop at Jungfraujoch, the highest rail station in Europe.

And they passed snowboarders and skiiers getting in a spot of exercise in the morning sun, its rays bouncing off the blindingly white snows.

Summer and winter, thousands of visitors from around the globe make the trip on Europe''s highest cogwheel railway, via the Kleine Scheidegg plateau, on a looping run through the Eiger and Monch mountains to the 'Top of Europe'' station.

Once there, they encounter a fabulous wilderness of glacial beauty where jet-black Alpine choughs soar against a backdrop of seemingly unassailable peaks.

The station opened back in 1912; it took engineers 16 tough years to blast their way through the mountains to reach the current station at Jungfraujoch, nestled beneath the higher Jungfrau peak. Now trippers offload high up on the mountainside into a veritable village of fun with its series of restaurants, shops and viewing points.

Visitors leave from stations at Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen-Wengen on special trains which haul them for around 90 minutes up into the high peaks. It''s a trip that, says Susie Embury - wife of player-turned-pundit John - has the 'wow factor''. Part of the ride takes you within sight of the Eiger''s notorious North Face while, up on top, the Swiss alps ripple away from you in deadly waves of ice and rock.

There''s no doubt that a trip to the 'Top of Europe'' is the most breath-taking in Switzerland. In more ways than one. At this height, there is less oxygen in the air and all visitors are advised to 'walk slowly'' around the Jungfraujoch 'village''.

For the players, the reduced oxygen levels posed a bit of a problem, too. Said Chris Broad after the match: Clearly shortage of breath was the issue; running between the wickets was kind of difficult! As for the score? Well, England''s All-Stars lost by just four runs on the last ball - to a roar of glee from watching Indian tourists.

Of course, just days later, and English pride was restored with the Ashes win. After that glorious victory, proud dad Chris Broad - himself an Ashes star of the 80s - texted son Stuart and told him: Oh no, my bragging rights have gone now.

Oh, I don''t know, Chris. I mean, you''ve played the 'Top of Europe'' - even if the mountains were the real winners.

FIONA Ennys flew with SWISS International Airlines on its daily service from Manchester to Zurich. Prices start from pounds 99 return including taxes.

For flight reservations call 0845 6010956 or visit www.swiss.com.

. She stayed at the four star Hotel Royal St. Georges in Interlaken which has been furbished in traditional Swiss and art nouveau style. Check out rates at www.royal-stgeorges.ch.

. For more information on Switzerland and where to visit, log on to www.myswitzerland.com or call (free) the Switzerland Travel Centre on 00800 10020030.

. For more details of travel deals using the Swiss Travel System -including the Jungfraubahn pass which provides cut price travel to the 'Top of Europe'' - call the Switzerland Travel Centre or log on to www.swisstravelsystem.co.uk.

. Expect to pay around 25sf to 30sf for a main course in a restaurant; 5sf for a small glass of Swiss wine or beer in bar and 2sf for bottled mineral water or a bar of chocolate (in supermarket).

Tipping is expected.

CAPTION(S):

ON TOP OF THEWORLD: A native chough takes in the views and inset England''s players, including Chris Broad, travel to the Top of Europe