Two cricket teams from Britain are on their way to Mount Qomolangma to play the sport's highest-ever match - lugging bats, pads and even their own pitch with them.

The 50-strong expedition is on its way to Gorak Shep, a plateau 5,165 meters above sea level, close to Qomolangma's Base Camp, for the record-breaking charity game.

"We are acclimatizing on the foothills. All the players are looking forward to the match," expedition leader Richard Kirtley said by telephone yesterday from Khumjung village, where they were taking a day's rest.

Self-confessed "cricket obsessive" Kirtley dreamed up the idea during a trip to the world's highest mountain in 2006. He said he thought Gorak Shep resembled The Oval cricket ground in south London, and resolved to organize a fixture.

The 22 players, eight reserves, medics, groundsmen and a few spectators will are scheduled to play on April 21.

"I think it's going to be a very competitive match. We all know it is going to be tough but all the players are ready for it and they are really excited," said Kirtley.

Kirtley said the two teams - named Hillary and Tenzing after the first men to climb Qomolangma - would play the short-form Twenty20 version of the game.

Nepalese weather forecasters said that the cricketers could face testing conditions.

"There is a chance of fresh snowfall above 5,000 meters near Qomolangma," said Keshab Das Shrestha, a senior meteorologist.

But the players are prepared, and will use a pink ball to make it easier to see.

"We have come all the way here to play. Nobody goes home without playing. Even if it snows we'll play," Kirtley said.

"We've got colored kits just like the ones professional players wear in Twenty20 matches. And underneath we will have special layers that will keep us warm."

They are taking a synthetic track that will be laid on the plateau to ensure a fair game.

The players include lawyers, farmers, bankers and policemen, all of whom play amateur cricket back home. "We are ordinary people who love cricket and want to do something extraordinary by playing the highest-ever match," said Kirtley.

They hope to raise $350,000 for The Lord's Taverners and The Himalayan Trust UK charities.