Cricket Scales Newer Heights .... Match at Kilimanjaro ....

The Sankar directed Rajni starrer ‘Enthiran’ had this song – Rajnikant and AishwaryaRai singing a duet in the background of tribal dancers.   The most popular trail for climbing Africa's highest mountain is dismissively known as the "Coca Cola route". It has comfortable huts for tourists to sleep in, food and drink is for sale and the paths are thronged with climbers ~ they say it is no "technical climbing" – still there could be altitude sickness  It is a very high mountain. Normally people take five or six days. Travelling 1500-2000m in a day is a lot for one person who lives at sea level. – is what is written about it.   Recently, there was a marriage too - Tanzania's tourism authorities commended two American nationals for exchanging wedding vows on Africa's highest peak. It is Kilimanjaro…… Mount Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira, is a dormant volcanic mountain in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in theworld at 5,895 metres or 19,341 feet above sea level. The summit of Kilimanjaro has half the level of oxygen than land at sea level, doubling the energy needed for the match. Climbers run the risk of acute mountain sickness and even potentially deadly pulmonary or cerebral oedema - the flooding of the lungs or brain.
Cricket was taken to greater heights …. Not that the standards were raised in any manner………. a plastic track, stumps, bats, pads and plenty of spare balls were all hauled up by Tanzanian porters during a seven-day trek, and qualified umpires were on hand to ensure the game was played properly and eligible for the record. The final score was a winning 82 for 5 for the 'Gorillas' team, led by England women's vice-captain Heather Knight, against 64 for 9 for Giles's 'Rhinos' team. It was unlike anywhere else they will have taken guard, played a cover drive or bowled a ball. A group of cricketers, including Ashley Giles, Makhaya Ntini and Heather Knight, have attempted to set a new world record for the highest-ever match played after setting up stumps atop Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. After an eight-day trek to what is known as the "roof of Africa" they played 10 overs per-side before one of the more memorable weather interruptions: cloud stopped play at 5730 metres (18,910) above sea level in a dusty and icy crater just below the dormant volcano's 5895-metre summit. The previous record for the world's highest game had been 5,165 metres, played in the Himalayas at Everest base camp in Nepal in 2009. Players are raising funds for charities including Cancer Research and conservation charity Tusk Trust, which works to stem rampant poaching of elephants and other animals. Funds raised will also go towards building Rwanda's first international cricket pitch. "Kilimanjaro" in Enthiran sung by Chinmayi was a hit.  The song,  reportedly based on the raga Karaharapriya, had variety of musical instruments – the song was not shot at Mt. Kilimanjaro but in Macchu Picchu in Peru. With regards – S. Sampathkumar.
Photo credit of match at Kilimanjaro BBC