A party of 50 cricket-loving explorers departed Lord's yesterday for an
unusual tour. In 11 days' time, after flying, driving and finally trekking
to a plateau 5,000 metres (17,000 ft) up in the Himalayas, more than three
miles above sea level, they will play a match of Twenty20 cricket and set a
world record: the highest altitude recorded for a field sport.

The Nokia Maps Everest Test match is due to be played on a frozen lake near
Everest base camp called Gorak Shep, which means “dead raven” in the
language of the Sherpas who will accompany the cricketers.

The teams, named Hillary and Tenzing, will play a match of 20 overs a side
under the proper laws of cricket. They will use wooden stumps and bats, a
pink leather ball (which stands out better against the snowy terrain) and a
full-sized artificial pitch which has been broken into three parts and will
be carried up the mountain.

If that is not enough to make them wheeze and puff, the thinner air will have
the players' hearts pumping 30 per cent faster than usual.

The match is due to be played on the Queen's official birthday, and a message
of support from Buckingham Palace was sent to the two teams. After the
match, a proper British cricket tea will be taken and the Union Jack raised
in the Queen's honour.

Richard Kirtley, expedition leader and a marketing manager by profession,
said: “We are all just ordinary people, taking that extra step to achieving
something extraordinary.” The match is being played for charity, and more
than £250,000 should be raised for the Himalayan Trust and the Lord's
Taverners. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, the England Test captain and
vice-captain, have agreed to be the honorary captains.

Cricket was introduced to Nepal in the 1920s and the country is the 31st
ranked side in the world. In a match against Mozambique last year, Mahaboob
Alam of Nepal took all ten wickets at a cost of 12 runs.

Cricket on Mount Everest

LONDON: Gareth Wesley, (L) captain of the ‘Tenzig’ team, Rebecca
Stephens, (C) the first British woman to climb Mount Everest, and
Richard Kirtley, (R) captain of the ‘Hilary’ team, pose for pictures at
Lord’s cricket ground on Thursday ahead of their attempt to hold the
world’s highest ever cricket game on Mount Everest. Two teams of
cricket-mad Britons vowed to take the sport to new heights by playing
on Mount Everest in the world’s highest-ever match. The two teams are
to make a nine-day expedition in April to Gorak Shep, a plateau 5,165
metres above sea level near the Everest base camp, for the
record-breaking Twenty20 charity game. afp