In cricket , a ground is a location where cricket matches are played, comprising a cricket field , cricket pavilion and any associated buildings and amenities.
145-467: The St Lawrence Ground is a cricket ground in Canterbury , Kent . It is the home ground of Kent County Cricket Club and since 2013 has been known as The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence , due to commercial sponsorship . It is one of the oldest grounds on which first-class cricket is played, having been in use since 1847, and is the venue for Canterbury Cricket Week , the oldest cricket festival in
290-593: A market garden known as Henderson's Nursery which had grown pineapples and tulips. The ground was subsequently threatened by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway 's attempts to purchase the area for their line into Marylebone station . After considering the company's offer, the MCC relinquished a strip of land bordering Wellington Road and was given in exchange the Clergy Orphan School to
435-629: A ball to T. N. Pearce batting for the MCC on 3 July 1936. It also contains the battered copy of Wisden that helped to sustain E. W. Swanton through his captivity in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during the Second World War. It continues to collect historic artefacts and also commissions new paintings and photography. It contains the Brian Johnston Memorial Theatre, a cinema which screens historical cricket footage for visitors. The museum collaborates with
580-425: A convict colony". Dark proposed to part with his interest in the ground in 1863, for the fee of £15,000 for the remaining 29 + 1 ⁄ 2 years of his lease. An agreement was reached in 1864, with Dark, who was seriously ill, selling his interests at Lord's for £11,000. The landlord of the ground, Isaac Moses, offered to sell it outright for £21,000 in 1865, which was reduced to £18,150. William Nicholson , who
725-581: A gate at the front of the building, as at Lord's. The changing rooms were remodelled during redevelopment of the ground in 2010–11 and an extra floor added to the building. Both the Pavilion and the Annexe stands were refurbished at the same time. During the redevelopment of the ground, a set of offices were built adjacent to the Underwood and Knott Stand. These include a cafe on the ground floor, named after
870-518: A ground that another batter is already occupying), he may be dismissed (prevented from further scoring) by being run out or stumped if the wicket in his ground is put down by the ball. This article about cricket terminology is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Long Room Lord's Cricket Ground , commonly known as Lord's , is a cricket venue in St John's Wood , London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord , it
1015-558: A large room modelled on the Long Room at Lord's and the upper floor has seating for members. Mobile sightscreens run along the ground floor of the building as well as along the front of the Woolley Stand. The Annexe Stand was built in 1907 adjacent to the Pavilion, and includes seating on two levels. It was originally built as an annexe to the Pavilion for ladies and was renamed the Underwood and Knott Stand in 2011, recognising
1160-607: A memorial to the fallen members of the MCC from the two world wars. They appointed Diana Rait Kerr , "to whom the game owes a great debt", to be the first full-time creator of the museum and library, a position she held from 1945 to 1968. The museum was officially opened to the public as the Imperial Memorial Collection by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1953. During her tenure as curator, Rait Kerr secured donations of pictures, equipment and other artefacts from around
1305-509: A new lodge and was constructed to replace an older lodge, along with a new workshop, stables and a store room at a cost of £1,000. To meet the ever increasing demand to accommodate more spectators, a temporary stand was constructed on the eastern side of the ground. After many years of complaints regarding the poor condition of the Lord's pitch, the MCC took action by installing Percy Pearce as Ground Superintendent in 1874. Pearce had previously held
1450-457: A new stand, which was built between 2015 and 2017. The new stand has improved facilities for match officials and reduced the number of restricted view spectator seats from 600 to 100. Phase two of the masterplan involved the demolition of the Compton and Edrich Stands in 2019, with their replacements being completed in 2021; these provided an extra 2,000 seats and for the first time were linked by
1595-519: A new upper tier designed by Michael Hopkins and Partners , which opened in time for the MCC's bicentenary in 1987. That bicentenary was celebrated with a five-day match between MCC and a Rest of the World team in August 1987, which ended in a draw after the final day was rained off. Graham Gooch made the first Test match triple-century at Lord's, scoring 333 against India in 1990. The final decade of
SECTION 10
#17327731143651740-514: A number of national museums and schools through active loans, in addition to community and tour programmes. It is a member of the Sporting Heritage network. Lord's also has one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of books and publications dedicated to cricket. The library includes over 20,000 volumes and grows by around 400 volumes a year. The library encourages donations from authors and publishers. The library operates as
1885-399: A number of purposes and the cafe and cricket shop open throughout the year. A fireworks display is held at the ground annually around Guy Fawkes Night . Over 600 first-class and 350 List A matches have been played on the ground. All records last updated 30 November 2021 Cricket ground A batter's ground is the area behind the popping crease at their end of the pitch . It
2030-483: A player reaches the Long Room is approximately 30 paces from the swing door at the rear of the room to the steps which lead onto the playing field. The Long Room is decorated with paintings of famous cricketers and administrators from the 18th to the 21st century, predominantly English players. For an overseas player to have their portrait placed in the Long Room is a considerable honour. Amongst overseas players to have
2175-460: A portrait in the Long Room are four Australians: Don Bradman , Keith Miller , Victor Trumper and Shane Warne . Found in the players dressing rooms are the honours boards for commemorating centuries , five wicket hauls and ten wicket hauls in a match. Two honours boards for batting and bowling commemorate England players in the home dressing room, while the batting and bowling boards commemorating players from other nationalities are found in
2320-420: A private library for MCC members on match days, but is open by appointment on non-match days. It was expanded in the 1980s with the opening of a new library in the tennis court block to the rear of the pavilion, having previously been housed in a small office in the pavilion. In 2010, a selection of 100 duplicates from the library's collection was offered for auction by Christie's with proceeds going to support
2465-598: A sell-out 24,000 crowd. It was the first such final held anywhere in the world. The tavern and its adjoining buildings were demolished in 1968 to make way for the construction of the Tavern Stand, again designed by Peacock. The tavern was subsequently re-sited next to the Grace Gates and was complemented with a banqueting hall. Lord's hosted its first One Day International (ODI) in 1972, with Australia defeating England by 5 wickets. Three years later Lord's hosted
2610-405: A separate entrance to the field. In the same year scorecards were introduced for the first time, from a portable press, and drainage was installed in 1849–50. The Australian Aboriginal cricket team toured England in 1868, with Lord's hosting one of their matches to a mixed response, with The Times describing the tourists as "a travestie upon cricketing at Lord's" and "the conquered natives of
2755-535: A series of two-day matches in the County Championship . 1923 saw the installation of the Grace Gates , a tribute to W. G. Grace who had died in 1915. They were inaugurated by Sir Stanley Jackson , who had suggested the inclusion of the words THE GREAT CRICKETER in the dedication. These gates replaced an earlier, less decorative, entrance to the ground. With attendances growing in number, it
2900-534: A tree within the playing area required special local rules. Shots that touched the tree were counted as a four , even if they ricocheted and cleared the boundary rope, and no batsman could be out caught off a rebound. Only four cricketers are known to have hit the ball over the tree to score a six: Arthur 'Jacko' Watson of Sussex in 1925, the West Indies' Learie Constantine in 1928, Middlesex 's Jim Smith in 1939, and Kent's Carl Hooper in 1992. The tree
3045-648: A trial in September 2011. The ground was first established in 1847 on farmland owned by the fourth Baron Sondes . The land was the site of the St Lawrence Hospital, a leper hospital founded in the mid-12th century, and immediately to the south of the Old Dover Road, which follows the line of the Roman road that ran from Dover to Canterbury. A Tudor manor house had been built on the site after
SECTION 20
#17327731143653190-626: A walkway bridge. Lord's celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of its current ground in 2014. To mark the occasion, an MCC XI captained by Sachin Tendulkar played a Rest of the World XI led by Shane Warne in a 50-over match. Two matches of note were played at the ground in July 2019. The first of these was 2019 World Cup Final between England and New Zealand, which ended as a tie with both sides making 241 runs from their 50 overs. The final
3335-524: A women's match at Lord's resulted from a campaign by Rachael Heyhoe Flint , and was given extra impetus by England's victory in the 1973 Women's Cricket World Cup . England had to wait another 11 years to play their second match at Lord's. The ground hosted the final of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 1993 with England beating New Zealand to win the World Cup. The ground was not fully opened for
3480-465: Is associated with the Battle of Britain , much of which was fought in the skies above the county in 1940 and after which Kent's limited-overs team is named. The playing surface of most cricket grounds are devoid of any trees or shrubs. The St Lawrence Ground was an exception: when the ground opened in 1847 it was laid out around a pre-existing lime tree , which was then about 40 years old. The presence of
3625-499: Is closest to it, and stays so until the other batter gets closer to it. Whether a batter is in or out of his ground is defined by Law 30 of the Laws of Cricket . So long as the batter has his body or his bat (that he is holding) touching the ground, he is in it, and is said to have "made good his ground". Batters can run between the two grounds to score runs . However, if a batter is out of his ground (which can happen when he enters
3770-420: Is found on the ground floor of the pavilion and has been described by Lawrence Booth as "the most evocative four walls in world cricket". Players walk through the Long Room on their way from the dressing rooms to the cricket field ; this walk is notoriously long and complex at Lord's. On his Test debut in 1975, David Steele got lost on his way out to bat "and ended up in the pavilion's basement toilets". Once
3915-474: Is named after Ames and Hopper Levett , another of Kent's line of wicket-keepers. It includes indoor cricket nets and a sports hall as well as an outdoor astroturf surface and is the base for the Kent Cricket Academy which works with young players across the county. A sports and physiotherapy clinic operates from the same building and provides physiotherapy support to Kent's players. The Pavilion
4060-406: Is one of the two safe zones that batters run between to score runs . In addition to the cricket field, the ground may include a pavilion , viewing areas or stadium , a car park, shops, bars, floodlights , sight screens , gates, and conference facilities. A batter's ground is the area behind the popping crease at his end of the pitch . In general, a ground belongs only to the batter who
4205-756: Is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club , the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the ICC Europe and, until August 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC). Lord's is widely referred to as the Home of Cricket and is home to the world's oldest sporting museum. Lord's today is not on its original site; it is the third of three grounds that Lord established between 1787 and 1814. His first ground, now referred to as Lord's Old Ground ,
4350-559: Is primarily for members of the MCC, who may use its amenities, which include seats for viewing the cricket, the Long Room and its Bar, the Bowlers Bar, and a members' shop. At Middlesex matches the pavilion is open to members of the Middlesex County Cricket Club. The Pavilion also contains the dressing rooms where players change, each of which has a small balcony for players to watch the play. The Long Room
4495-442: Is thought to represent Lord Harris . The building consists of a long, two storey centre section with covered seating between two end towers which are capped with pyramidal roofs which have ornate wrought and cast iron lanterns. Running the full length of the rear of the second floor is the pavilion roof terrace, which provides views of the entire ground. It underwent an £8 million refurbishment programme in 2004–05. The pavilion
St Lawrence Ground - Misplaced Pages Continue
4640-479: Is within a 10–15 minutes' walk from the ground. Canterbury Park and Ride buses stop immediately outside the ground on their way into the city, and other local bus services serve the ground either from outside it or on the A2050 New Dover Road 200 metres (220 yd) from the entrance to the ground. The ground has been used for a number of music concerts, beginning with Elton John who appeared at
4785-400: The 1926 General Strike . Upon its completion, Baker presented Lord's with a weather vane Father Time removing the bails from a wicket , which was placed on top of the grandstand. The full weathervane is 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall, with the figure of Father Time standing at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m). Baker further contributed to the landscape of Lord's by designing
4930-556: The Golden Jubilee Celebrations for Queen Victoria in 1887, the Kings of Belgium, Denmark, Saxony , and Portugal attended Lord's. It was noted that none of them had any grasp of cricket. In the same year Lord's hosted the MCC's hundredth anniversary celebrations, with the MCC playing a celebratory match against England. With only a two-tiered covered grandstand and both increasing membership and spectator numbers, it
5075-472: The RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture in 1999. The Media Centre was originally sponsored by NatWest , with sponsorship being taken over by Investec in 2007. Since 31 May 2011, the media centre has been sponsored by J. P. Morgan . Purchased in two parts by the MCC in 1838 and 1887, the ground is primarily used as a practice ground and is considered to have some of the best grass nets in
5220-644: The White Conduit Club and backed against any losses by George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea and Colonel Charles Lennox , Thomas Lord opened his first ground in May 1787 on the site where Dorset Square now stands, on land leased from the Portman Estate . The White Conduit moved there from Islington , unhappy at the standard of the ground at White Conduit Fields , soon afterwards and reconstituted themselves as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). It
5365-538: The dissolution of the hospital in the mid 16th century and this had been demolished by 1839. In the 18th century the house was known as St Lawrence. The ground was laid out by Fuller Pilch , a professional cricketer who had been the groundsman at Town Malling and, from 1842, the Beverley Ground in north-east Canterbury. Kent County Cricket Club had been formed at the Beverley Ground in 1842 and
5510-485: The 1880s, which was in use at Lord's until 1945. A large bronze statue of W. G. Grace stands in the Coronation Garden. The garden is popular with picnickers during major matchdays. The Harris Garden, formerly tennis courts, was created as a rose garden in 1934 in memory of Lord Harris . The garden was restored and re-launched in 2018. The restoration included the exposing of the flint wall which runs along
5655-427: The 20th–century saw rapid redevelopment of Lord's. The Compton and Edrich stands were completed in 1991, having run over time and budget. The indoor school closed in 1994, owing to the construction of a new state-of-the-art indoor cricket centre which opened in 1995. The old Grandstand was demolished in 1996, with a replacement designed by Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners being completed in 1998. Since 1997, Lord's
5800-666: The B2068 Old Dover Road. The Nackington Road runs along the eastern edge of the ground. It is 1 mile (1.6 km) from Canterbury East railway station on the London Victoria to Dover line . Canterbury West railway station , on the other side of the city centre, is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away and is on the London Charing Cross to Ramsgate line and High Speed 1 from London St Pancras to Margate . Although it remains possible to park cars on
5945-684: The Grand Stand, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw , in 1996. The Media Centre , opposite the Pavilion between the Compton and Edrich Stands, was added in 1999. Designed by Future Systems , it won the Royal Institute of British Architects' Stirling Prize for 1999. The redevelopment of the Compton Stand and Edrich Stands was completed in 2021, adding 2,600 seats and bringing the ground capacity to 31,100 spectators. The two ends of
St Lawrence Ground - Misplaced Pages Continue
6090-543: The Iron Stand. During World War II the ground was used as an alternative civil defence control centre. The Frank Woolley Stand was built adjacent to the Pavilion in the 1920s, and the Colin Cowdrey Stand added in the 1980s. Significant redevelopment was undertaken at the ground during the early 21st century, during which land was sold for housing. Cricketing feats to have taken place on the ground include
6235-576: The Kent Committee suggested that if they were not approved by the membership of the club that an alternative might be to move the county's headquarters to a ground closer to the M25 in order to attract more spectators. Following problems associated with the global economic downturn the redevelopment plans were put on indefinite "hold" in 2008. The plans were resurrected in summer 2009 and in March 2010
6380-534: The Lord's pitches badly affected by crane fly larvae, known as leatherjackets. The larvae caused bald patches to appear on the playing surface and had to be removed by the ground staff, although spin bowlers did gain some benefit from the bare patches. In contrast to the First World War, Lord's was not requisitioned by the military during the Second World War . Lord's hosted matches throughout
6525-531: The MCC committee to fund the future £250 million development of the ground by constructing residential apartments and a luxury hotel along the Wellington Road and Grove End Road. The Lord's Masterplan was unveiled in 2013, which is a twenty-year plan to redevelop the ground and improve its facilities. The first phase of the masterplan involved the demolition and replacement of the Warner Stand with
6670-549: The MCC had a real tennis playing membership of 200. The playing of rackets at Lord's dates from 1844 and is currently played in the same building as real tennis. Lord's hosted the Public Schools Championship in 1866, with Harrow School triumphing. Since then the Championship has been held at Prince's Club , before moving to Queen's Club . With the advent of lawn tennis , a decision was made at
6815-464: The MCC. The 1998 decision to allow female MCC members represented a historic modernisation of the pavilion and its clubs. The decision to build the Media Centre was made during a meeting of the MCC committee in 1995. These plans sought to remove the inadequate media facilities mostly concentrated in the Warner Stand which could accommodate 90 journalists, along with wooden shacks dotted around
6960-571: The Old Dover Road entrance to the ground until 2010 when it was removed for safe keeping during redevelopment of the ground. The memorial was rededicated on the centenary of Blythe's death in 2018 on a new site at the Nackington Road entrance behind the Les Ames Stand. Some of Blythe's personal possessions, including two wallets he was carrying when he was killed and which were torn by the shrapnel which killed him, are on display inside
7105-617: The Pavilion End of the ground. The Pavilion can be seen clearly behind Blythe. The painting was hung in the Pavilion until 1999, when insurance payments proved too expensive and it was loaned to the MCC and hung in the Long Room at Lord's . It was permanently sold to MCC in 2006 and remains in the Lord's Pavilion , with a copy hanging in the St Lawrence Ground Pavilion. Kent won three more County Championships in
7250-483: The Pavilion features a number of memorial plaques, including a memorial to the members of Band of Brothers, an amateur cricket club closest associated with Kent, who died during World War I and II and the bronze which was used to cast the original Fuller Pilch memorial. The club announced in late 2006 that it would seek to redevelop the ground. The planned £9 million development would include a hotel, health and fitness centre and conference facilities and would have involved
7395-464: The Pavilion on the ground. A memorial to Fuller Pilch , who established the ground in 1847, was moved from his grave at St Gregory's church in the city to the ground in 1978. The graveyard had fallen into disuse and the memorial was moved to the ground where it stood, near to the Blythe memorial, until redevelopment in 2010 when it was also removed for safe keeping to a stone mason's yard. The front of
SECTION 50
#17327731143657540-616: The Q Stand next to the pavilion in 1934, while at the Nursery End stands were also erected. Careful consideration was taken to preserve the treeline dividing the main ground from the Nursery Ground. The West Indies under the captaincy of Karl Nunes played their first Test match at Lord's in 1928. The ground later hosted the first televised Test match during the Second Test of the 1938 Ashes series . The 1935 season saw
7685-611: The St Lawrence Ground was established to be used for their Canterbury Cricket Week in 1847. The 1847 Cricket Week saw the first first-class cricket matches held on the ground, with Kent playing England and the Gentlemen of Kent playing the Gentlemen of England . Initially, the St Lawrence ground was used only for the annual Cricket Week, and pasture land for the rest of the each year. A St Lawrence Cricket Club
7830-611: The Twenty20 Cup match between Middlesex and Kent . Two weeks after the first use of the floodlights, Lord's hosted its first Twenty20 International in the World Twenty20 between England and the Netherlands , which resulted in a shock last-ball win for the associate nation. Lord's held the final of the competition between Pakistan and Sri Lanka , which Pakistan won by 8 wickets. In 2008 plans were drawn up by
7975-475: The adjacent Annexe Stand, originally built in 1907. Kent's first County Championship title in 1906 was marked by the commissioning of a painting of the team playing Lancashire on the ground. The painting, Kent vs Lancashire at Canterbury by Albert Chevallier Tayler , depicts a view of the ground from the Nackington Road End with Colin Blythe , Kent's greatest pre-war bowler, bowling from
8120-508: The advent of drop-in pitches . However, the MCC resisted these calls as levelling the pitch would require the rebuilding of Lord's and would mean Test cricket would not be able to be played there for five years. The outfield was notorious for becoming waterlogged due to the clay soil, which resulted in considerable lost match time. The entire outfield was relaid in the winter of 2002 with the clay soil being replaced with sand, which has improved drainage. Lord's hosted its first Twenty20 match in
8265-401: The annual general meeting of the MCC in May 1875 to construct a tennis court, although there was strong opposition from some members. A suggestion to standardise the rules of tennis was made at Lord's by J. M. Heathcote , who was himself a prominent real tennis player. On 3 March 1875 the MCC, in its capacity as the governing body for rackets and real tennis, convened a meeting at Lord's to test
8410-407: The architect Kenneth Peacock and replaced an area of raised ground lined with trees from where it was traditionally possible to watch a match from the comfort of ones own carriage . Prior to the construction of the Warner Stand, all stands at the ground were identified by letters of the alphabet. The record numbers of spectators who attended Test and County Championship matches began to decline by
8555-462: The away dressing room. Originally only these achievements in Test matches were commemorated, but since 2019 an honours board for ODIs has been introduced. As of 2024 167 players have made 240 Test centuries at Lord's and 130 players have taken 186 five wicket hauls . In ODI's 29 players have made 32 centuries at Lord's and 14 players have taken a five wicket haul . A separate "neutral" honours board
8700-636: The back of the garden, which displays a dedication to Lord Harris. The flower beds in the Harris Garden were replanted in 2018 with a floral design featuring flowers from all the Test playing nations . The Harris Garden is available for private hire and can host up to 300 people. Pelham Warner was of the opinion that the only other sport which had any real standing at Lord's was real tennis . A real tennis court began construction in October 1838, with
8845-448: The boundary edge, redevelopment has restricted the number that can be driven onto the ground and parking is now restricted to car-parking season-ticket holders, with a small number of parking spaces reserved for disabled drivers. Car parking is available for some days at Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School , which is adjacent to the ground on the Nackington Road side, while Canterbury City Council's large Old Dover Road park-and-ride facility
SECTION 60
#17327731143658990-411: The bowler–wicket-keeper partnership of Derek Underwood and Alan Knott . The stand contains a press room for journalists on the first floor and the Pavilion includes a radio commentary room. The gap between the two stands was filled in the 1970s by a set of changing rooms. This included an entrance to the field of play for players, who had previously walked through the Pavilion and on to the field through
9135-424: The club Treasurer. These items were originally displayed in the pavilion, limiting access to the collection to MCC members. Following the Second World War the collection had outgrown its home in the pavilion, with a decision made to relocate the collection and open it to the public. The MCC moved the collection to a disused rackets court, which had fallen into disrepair during the war, with this location also acting as
9280-404: The club announced they had been unable to find a partner for the hotel and fitness centre and instead hoped to build 60 retirement flats on the northern side of the ground. Canterbury City Council initially rejected the planning application in late 2014, but the decision was overturned and construction began in 2016 and was completed by the start of the 2018 season. The new plans were restricted to
9425-481: The club confirmed that Bellway would be its housing partner for the redevelopment project after the financial collapse of Persimmon Homes , the original housing developer. Work started in September 2010 on developing the ground. Five permanent, retractable floodlight pylons were installed in the 2010–11 off-season and the dressing rooms were refurbished and redeveloped. The floodlights replaced temporary lights which had proved unreliable in strong winds and had restricted
9570-534: The county either side of World War I, is the county's leading run scorer and has made the most appearances for the side. He played 64 Test matches for England and was an inaugural member of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009. The stand was refurbished in 1972 and in 2012 Kent launched an appeal to raise money to construct a new stand to replace the existing structure. The Colin Cowdrey Stand
9715-474: The county's ability to play evening Twenty20 matches. Land behind the Pavilion was sold to Bellway in 2011 and in March 2012 a new Sainsbury's Local convenience store opened. This faces out of the ground and occupies the ground floor of the new club administration building alongside the Lime Tree Cafe inside the ground. The building was partly funded by a loan from Canterbury City Council. In 2013,
9860-537: The damage. As the war progressed, the threat came not from the Luftwaffe but the newly developed V-1 flying bomb . Lord's had several near misses from these weapons in 1944, with one bomb landing 200 yards (180 m) short of the ground near to Regents Park . The Nursery Ground had been requisitioned by the Royal Air Force and converted into a barrage balloon site. The most high-profile damage during
10005-496: The end of the 1950s and cricket in England found itself from a position of 2.2 million paid County Championship spectators in 1947, dropping to 719,661 in 1963. To arrest this decline, List A one-day cricket was introduced in 1963, with Lord's hosting its first List A match in the 1963 Gillette Cup between Middlesex and Northamptonshire and later hosted the final of the competition between Sussex and Worcestershire in front of
10150-466: The end of the war attendances at cricket matches grew. The gross attendance of 132,000 and the gate receipts of £43,000 for the Second Test of the 1948 Ashes series was a record for a Test match in England at that time. This demand necessitated further expansion of the ground, with the construction of the Warner Stand in 1958, which included snack bars and a press box. This stand was the work of
10295-473: The final of the inaugural men's World Cup , with the West Indies triumphing over Australia. Four years later, Lord's held the final of the 1979 World Cup , with the West Indies once against triumphing, this time against England. The first women's cricket match at Lord's took place in August 1976 when England and Australia played a 60-over ODI which England won by eight wickets. The opportunity to play
10440-454: The first triple century scored in top-class cricket, by WG Grace in 1876 playing for the MCC against Kent. As of 2018 it remains the only triple century to have been scored on the ground. Kent leg-spinner Doug Wright took his seventh first-class hat-trick on the ground in 1949, a world record that remains to this day. Six of Wright's hat-tricks were taken while playing for Kent, although only
10585-484: The first unified rules for lawn tennis, which were adopted by the club on 24 June. These rules were amended by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club for the 1877 Wimbledon Championship , with the dimensions of the tennis courts being based on those at Lord's; the courts on which these were based are no longer used for tennis and are now part of the Harris Garden. The original intention for
10730-520: The foundation stone of the court being laid by Benjamin Aislabie . The court was built at a cost of £4,000, which at the time was exceptionally high. A real tennis competition was later established in 1867. The tennis court was demolished in 1898 to make way for the Mound Stand, with a replacement court being built behind the pavilion in 1900 in the back garden of number 3 Grove End Road. By 2005
10875-431: The game and only 5,000 spectators were able to attend. A new indoor cricket school was completed in 1973 at the Nursery End, funded by £75,000 from Sir Jack Hayward and additional funds raised by the Lord's Taverners and The Sports Council . The West Indies appeared in their third successive World Cup final in 1983, but were defeated by 43 runs by India . The Mound Stand's roof was removed in 1985 to make way for
11020-574: The ground against a team of Iroquois Indians . A Canadian lacrosse team toured the United Kingdom again in 1883, with one exhibition match being staged at Lord's in front of several thousand spectators. It was later played again at Lord's in October 1953 when the Kenton and Old Thorntonians lacrosse clubs met there in a lacrosse championship match, with further fixtures following in November of
11165-502: The ground for commentators, and replace them with a new purpose built facility. It was then approved by members of the MCC at a special general meeting in December 1996. A gap between the Compton and Edrich Stands was selected, with space limitations requiring the centre to stand 15 metres (49 ft) above the ground on reinforced supports from the structure around its two lift shafts. This design allowed for uninterrupted access between
11310-549: The ground in 2006. In recent years, concerts, which take place during the summer using a temporary stage at the Nackington Road end of the ground, have featured artists such as Madness , Olly Murs , Bryan Adams , Tom Jones , and Michael Bublé . It has been used as a venue for the Canterbury Festival , an arts festival held in the city each autumn, hosting the Spiegeltent . Rooms at the ground can be hired for
11455-556: The ground was the venue for the first cricket match to be played between the Vatican and the Church of England. The ground has been known as The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence since a 2013 sponsorship deal between the club and local brewery Shepherd Neame . The deal gave naming rights to the ground for a ten-year period to the company, which has been a long-term sponsor of the club and brews a beer named Spitfire . The Supermarine Spitfire
11600-464: The ground's famous lime tree. The electronic scoreboard, which used to stand on this part of the ground, was moved to the northern side of the ground before being replaced, in 2017, by a new LCD scoreboard on the north-east corner of the ground. The Blythe Memorial was established on the ground in 1919 in remembrance of Colin Blythe and the other Kent players who had died during World War I . Blythe
11745-418: The introduction of the boundary system in 1866. Further crowd control measures were initiated in 1871, with the introduction of turnstiles. The pavilion was expanded in the mid-1860s and shortly thereafter it was decided to replace the original tavern with a new construction commencing in December 1867. At this time a nascent county game was beginning to take shape. With Lord's hosting more county matches,
11890-414: The last time in 2000, after which the match alternated between Fenner's at Cambridge and University Parks at Oxford. The fixture has continued at Lord's since 2001 as a one-day limited overs match. At the start of the 21st–century, the Lord's slope which provides a benefit to both seam bowlers and swing bowlers from the Pavilion and Nursery Ends respectively, was under threat of being levelled due to
12035-504: The last was taken on the ground. Kent have played more than 950 top-class matches on the ground, including over 550 first-class games. It was the venue for the first day/night County Championship match, played as a trial in September 2011, and regularly stages day/night limited-overs matches. It has been used for four men's one-day international matches and for women's international cricket Test matches and one-day matches, as well as for games by England Lions and age-group sides. In 2014,
12180-489: The library. Lord's has two gardens, the Harris Garden and the Coronation Garden. The Coronation Garden was created behind the A stand (Warner Stand) in 1952 to celebrate the Coronation of Elizabeth II . It contains weeping Ash trees and other trees, providing a shaded area under which benches are found. Preserved in the Coronation Garden is one of the first models of mass-produced, cast iron, heavy rollers dating from
12325-535: The lowest Test total at Lord's and lost the match by 143 runs. In August 2022 the ground's East Gate was renamed the Heyhoe Flint Gate in honour of Rachael Heyhoe Flint. As of 2024, the stands at Lord's are (clockwise from the Pavilion): Many of the stands were rebuilt in the late 20th century. In 1987 the new Mound Stand, designed by Michael Hopkins and Partners , was opened, followed by
12470-464: The main scoreboard directly above. The scoreboard, which dates from the 1930s, is one of only two manual scoreboards still in use at any major county ground in England or Wales. The indoor cricket school, which stands behind the Cowdrey Stand, was rebuilt in the early 1990s and opened in 1992, replacing a previous building which had itself been rebuilt in 1976. An extension was added in 1995. It
12615-404: The main Lord's ground, but heavy rain had fallen and in the week leading up to the match this had led to the abandonment of a match between the MCC and Nottinghamshire. The heavy rain persisted during the MCC v Yorkshire match, with the players spending the first two days of the three-day match sat in the pavilion. However, it was deemed that the playing surface on the Nursery Ground was suitable for
12760-518: The main ground and the Nursery Ground, while also allowing the movement of ground staff and their equipment. It was designed by the Future Systems architectural practice led by Czech architect Jan Kaplický and was the first all-aluminium, semi- monocoque building in the world, costing about £5 million. Construction began in January 1997 and was completed in time for the 1999 World Cup. It
12905-527: The nine Test matches in the ill-fated 1912 Triangular Tournament which was organised by the South African millionaire Sir Abe Bailey . The ground's centenary was commemorated in June 1914 with a match between MCC, whose team was selected from the touring party from the recent tour of South Africa , and a Rest of England team. The Rest of England won the three-day match by an innings and 189 runs. Lord's
13050-411: The north and west. Lord's was described by Lord Cottesloe in 1845 as being a primitive venue, with low benches put in a circle around the ground at a good distance providing seating for spectators. Improvements to the ground were gradually made, with the introduction of a telegraph scoreboard in 1846. A small room was built on the north side of the pavilion in 1848 for professionals, providing them with
13195-412: The northern edge of the ground along the Old Dover Road and ensured that the Les Ames Stand was retained on the ground. The development was opened in 2017 and named Freeman House in honour of Kent's leading wicket-taker, Tich Freeman . At the same time, a new electronic scoreboard was installed near to the apartments. The ground is located 1 mile (1.6 km) south-east of the centre of Canterbury on
13340-475: The original records of the MCC and the wider game. The pavilion was promptly rebuilt by Lord. In 1825, the future of the ground was placed in jeopardy when Lord proposed developing the ground with housing at a time when St John's Wood was seeing rapid development. This was prevented by William Ward, who purchased the ground from Lord for £5,000. His purchase was celebrated in the following anonymous poem: The first University Match between Oxford and Cambridge
13485-401: The outfield. The Cross Arrows Cricket Club play their home matches at the Nursery Ground toward the end of the cricket season. The construction of the new Compton and Edrich stands, beginning in August 2019, encroached on the Nursery Ground's playing area. In order to reclaim the playing area lost to the redevelopment of the stands, the temporary Nursery Pavilion will be demolished in 2025–26 and
13630-483: The pavilion from over the bowlers arm. The Media Centre was opened in April 1999 by then MCC President Tony Lewis . Lord's hosted its one-hundredth Test match in June 2000, with England defeating the West Indies by two wickets; the match was also notable for the 21 wickets which fell on the second day, the most to fall in a day in a Test at Lord's since 1888. The ground also hosted The University Match over three days for
13775-399: The pavilion is notoriously strict. Men are required to wear "ties and tailored coats and acceptable trousers with appropriate shoes" and women are required to wear "dresses; or skirts or trousers worn with blouses, and appropriate shoes". Until 1999 women – except Queen Elizabeth II – were not permitted to enter the pavilion as members during play, due to the gender-based membership policy of
13920-529: The pavilion, which the archers were positioned in front of, with the targets placed 70 metres away just past the square and in front of the Media Centre. Either side of the square temporary stands holding up to 5,000 spectators were erected. Lacrosse was first played at Lord's in 1833 by the Canadian pioneers of the sport. Lacrosse returned to Lord's in 1876, when a team of Canadian Gentlemen Amateurs led by William George Beers played an exhibition match at
14065-413: The pitch are the Pavilion End (south-west), where the main members' pavilion is located, and the Nursery End (north-east), dominated by the Media Centre. The current Grand Stand replaced the one built in 1926 by Sir Herbert Baker. Although the stand was described as "truly a thing of beauty, loved by all who gazed upon it", it did have limitations for spectators. 43% of the seats had an obstructed views of
14210-512: The pitches subsequently improved with the umpires being responsible for their preparation. Middlesex County Cricket Club , which had been founded in 1864, began playing their home games at Lord's in 1877 after vacating their ground in Chelsea , which had been considered a serious rival to Lord's given its noblemen backers. In 1873–74, an embankment was constructed which could accommodate 4,000 spectators in four rows of seats. Four years later
14355-483: The players. The lower tier of the centre provides accommodation for 118 journalists, with two hospitality boxes either side which accommodate 18 people each. The top tier has radio and television commentary boxes, consisting of two television studios, two large commentary and radio commentary boxes, each holding up to six people. The centre's only opening window is in the broadcasting box used by BBC Test Match Special . The building won eight architectural awards, including
14500-480: The playing area and the structure itself was becoming rotten. The current pavilion at Lord's is the third pavilion to stand at the ground and is the main survivor from the Victorian era, having been built in 1889–90. It has been a Grade II* listed building since September 1982. The pavilion was constructed using brick with ornate terracotta facing, which includes terracotta gargoyles, such as 'The Patriarch' which
14645-483: The playing area will be extended up to the perimeter wall running along the Wellington Road. Lord's is the home of the MCC Museum, which is the oldest sports museum in the world, and contains the world's most celebrated collection of cricket memorabilia , including The Ashes urn . MCC has been collecting memorabilia since 1864, the collection being originated by Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane , who subsequently became
14790-448: The present ground on 29 July 1818. From 1822, the fixture has been almost an annual event at Lord's. Lord's witnessed the first double-century to be made in first-class cricket when William Ward scored 278 for the MCC against Norfolk in 1820. The original pavilion , which had recently been renovated at great expense, was destroyed by fire following the first Winchester v Harrow match on 23 July 1823, which destroyed nearly all of
14935-418: The purchase of the northern part of the Nursery Ground in 1838 was for it to serve as an archery venue. Archery is recorded as having been played at Lord's as far back as August 1844, when visiting Ioway Indians camped at Lord's and demonstrated their archery skills. Lord's was one of the venues for the 2012 Summer Olympics , hosting the archery competition . The archery competition took place in front of
15080-533: The removal of the Les Ames Stand (the former Iron Stand) at the Nackington Road End of the ground, the oldest structure on the ground. The plans involved the upgrading of the pavilion and other stands on the ground. Money for the project would be raised by the building of private housing on the nets behind the pavilion and on the car park of the local pub, the Bat and Ball . The plans were controversial and
15225-401: The rivalry between England and Australia. Lord's hosted its first Test match during the 1884 Ashes , becoming the third venue in England to host Test cricket after The Oval and Old Trafford . The match was won by England by an innings and 5 runs, with England's A. G. Steel and Edmund Peate recording the first Test century and five wicket haul at Lord's respectively. As part of
15370-524: The same position at the County Ground, Hove . His appointment vastly improved the condition of the wicket, with The Standard describing them as "faultless". The Australian cricket team captained by Dave Gregory first visited Lord's on 27 May 1878, defeating their MCC hosts by 9 wickets. This was considered a shock result and established not only the fame of the Australian team, but also
15515-566: The same year. Baseball was first played at Lord's in 1874 when the MCC hosted a touring party of 22 baseball players from the Boston Red Stockings and the Philadelphia Athletics , who were the two leading American baseball teams of the time. The Red Stockings defeated The Athletics 24–7 in front of a crowd of 5,000 spectators. A baseball game was held at Lord's during the First World War to raise funds for
15660-776: The second edition of the Twenty20 Cup in 2004. In 2005 the International Cricket Council (formerly the Imperial Cricket Conference) headquarters, which had been located at Lord's since its foundation in 1909, were closed and moved to the Dubai Sports City in the United Arab Emirates. Temporary floodlights were installed at the ground in 2007, but were removed in 2008 after complaints of light pollution from local residents. In January 2009, Westminster City Council approved
15805-487: The side in the 1920s, is on the first floor and the Harris Room, a function room with outdoor seating used for hospitality purposes and named after Lord Harris , one of the club's most important personalities, is on the second floor. The Les Ames Stand, closest to the Nackington Road entrance, has no public seating. Since redevelopment it consists of a public bar on the ground-floor level with 16 hospitality boxes and
15950-484: The south. In order to build the railway into Marylebone station, the Nursery Ground had to be dug up to allow tunnels to be constructed between 1894 and 1898 using the cut-and-cover method. Once completed the railway company laid a new pitch. It was rumoured that subsequent tunnelling under Wellington Road provided the banking for the Mound Stand, which was constructed in 1898/99 on an area previously occupied by tennis and rackets courts. The rapid development of Lord's
16095-442: The third day of the match to be played there, with both sides batting for an innings each and Yorkshire's Wilfred Rhodes making an unbeaten 98. The Women's University Match has been played on the Nursery Ground since 2001, however following calls for gender equality, the 20-over fixture will be played on the main Lord's ground for the first time from 2022 alongside the men's fixtures. On big match days crowds are allowed onto
16240-412: The time was recorded as sloping down 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) from north-west to south-east, though in actuality the slope is 8 ft 1 in (2.46 m). The new ground was opened in the 1814 season, with the MCC playing Hertfordshire in the first match on the ground on 22 June 1814. A tavern was built for Lord in 1813–14, followed by a wooden pavilion in 1814. First-class cricket
16385-440: The use of new 48 metre high retractable floodlights designed to minimise light spillage into nearby homes. Conditions of the approval included a five-year trial period during which up to 12 matches and 4 practice matches could be played under the lights from April to September. The lights must be dimmed to half-strength at 9.50 pm and be switched off by 11 pm. The floodlights were first used successfully on 27 May 2009 during
16530-471: The various versions of lawn tennis which existed with the aim to fully standardise the game's rules. Amongst the various versions of lawn tennis which were demonstrated were Major Clopton Wingfield's Sphairistikè , and John H. Hale's Germains Lawn Tennis. After the meeting, the MCC Tennis Committee was tasked with framing the rules. On 29 May 1875 the MCC issued the Laws of Lawn Tennis ,
16675-507: The war for the London Counties cricket team , amongst others, which attracted large crowds. The ground was spared major damage from The Blitz . An oil bomb landed in the Nursery Ground in 1940, with a high-explosive bomb also narrowly missing the Nursery End stands in December of the same year. The grandstand and the pavilion were hit by incendiary bombs, damaging their roofs. The in-house Lord's firefighters reacted quickly and limited
16820-626: The war for the manufacture of hay nets for horses on the Western Front . Though requisitioned, Lord's held several charity cricket matches during the war, featuring military teams from the various territories of the British Empire . These matches were well attended and one such match in 1918 between England and the Dominions was attended by George V and the Duke of Connaught . First-class cricket returned to Lord's in 1919, with
16965-577: The war was that to Father Time , which was damaged by a one such balloon which had broken loose and drifted toward the grandstand, catching Father Time and depositing it into the seating at the front of the stand. International cricket resumed at the end of the war, with Lord's hosting one of the Victory Tests (though the matches did not actually have Test status) between the Australian Services cricket team and England. Following
17110-489: The world. In 1895 the Middlesex Volunteers requested the use of the Nursery Ground as a drill ground, but this was declined by the MCC. The Nursery Pavilion, which was constructed in 1999, overlooks the playing area of the Nursery Ground and is one of London's largest venues. The ground has hosted one first-class cricket match in 1903, when the MCC played Yorkshire ; the match was originally to be played on
17255-442: The world. Rait Kerr was succeeded as curator by Stephen Green in 1968. The museum today welcomes around 50,000 visitors per year. Amongst the items on display include cricket kit used by Victor Trumper , Jack Hobbs , Don Bradman , Shane Warne , and others; many items related to the career of W. G. Grace ; and curiosities such as the stuffed sparrow that was 'bowled out' by Jahangir Khan of Cambridge University in delivering
17400-504: The world. It is one of the two grounds used regularly for first-class cricket that have had a tree, the St Lawrence Lime , within the boundary . Capacity at the ground was increased to 15,000 in 2000, and four One Day International matches have been played there, one each in 1999 (part of the 1999 Cricket World Cup ), 2000, 2003 and 2005. The ground was the venue for the first day/night County Championship match, played as
17545-566: The years before World War I . War was declared during Canterbury Week in 1914, although cricket continued until the end of the season and matches were moved to the ground from Dover due to wartime activity. During the war, the ground was used by the military and occupied by the Field Ambulance detachment of the South Eastern Mounted Brigade . Horses were stabled along the south side of the ground, including in
17690-515: Was Kent's leading bowler during the pre-war period and played Test cricket for England. He was the most high-profile cricketer to die during the war when he was killed, aged 38, near Ypres in October 1917 whilst serving in the Royal Engineers . The memorial was unveiled in August 1919 and commemorated Blythe and the 12 other Kent cricketers who died during the war. The names of 12 more men were added to it after World War II . It stood at
17835-413: Was a member of the MCC committee at the time advanced the money on a mortgage, with his proposal for the MCC to buy the ground being unanimously passed at a special general meeting on 2 May 1866. Following the purchase, a number of developments took place. These included the addition of cricket nets for players to practise and the construction of a grandstand designed by the architect Arthur Allom , which
17980-473: Was built in 1900 on an area of the ground where tents had previously been pitched during Canterbury Week. It is a two-tiered building, originally housing a luncheon room, committee room and changing rooms on the ground floor with seating for spectators on the first-floor and veranda. It is named the Chiesman Pavilion after a major benefactor of the club in the 1960s and 70s. The ground floor contains
18125-573: Was built in 1927 to replace a wooden structure known as the Telegraph Stand, which had been used for journalists and the scorers. It is a two-tier, cantilevered stand which cost almost £6,000 to build and held almost 1,700 spectators when it was first built. It was one of the largest cantilevered stands in the world when opened, and was known as the Concrete Stand until being renamed to honour Frank Woolley in 1973. Woolley, who played for
18270-527: Was built in 32 sections and fitted out by Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth in combination with Centraalstaal from the Netherlands. These pieces were then delivered to Lord's where they were lowered into place during the 1998 season . The glazing on the front of the centre is inclined 25° so as to eliminate reflections and glare on the pitch to minimise the visual barrier between members of the media and
18415-445: Was built in the 1980s, partly financed by the sale of mementos after the pollarding of the lime tree that stood on the ground, and formally named after Kent's longest-serving captain during Canterbury Week in 1992. It is a three-storey stand with a conference room, club shop and outside seating for members on the ground floor. The Cornwallis Room, an indoor viewing area with catering facilities named after Stanley Cornwallis who captained
18560-410: Was built in the winter of 1867–68 and also provided accommodation for the press. This was funded by a private syndicate of MCC members, from whom the MCC purchased the stand in 1869. The wicket at Lord's was heavily criticised in the 1860s due to its poor condition, with Frederick Gale suggesting that nine cricket grounds out of ten within 20 miles of London would have a better wicket; the condition
18705-480: Was created in 2010 to coincide with Lord's hosting a Test match between Australia and Pakistan . The Australians Warren Bardsley and Charlie Kelleway were the first two names added to this board, commemorating their centuries against South Africa in 1912. They were joined by the Australians Shane Watson and Marcus North , who both took five wicket hauls against Pakistan. The dress code in
18850-471: Was decided to build a new pavilion at a cost of £21,000. Construction on this pavilion , which was designed by Thomas Verity , took place in 1889–90. The pavilion it replaced was relocated and painstakingly rebuilt on an estate in Sussex , where it lived out its days as a glorified garden shed. Soon after this, the MCC purchased the land to the east, known today as the Nursery Ground; this had previously been
18995-486: Was deemed so poor as to be dangerous that Sussex refused to play there in 1864. By the 1860s and 1870s, the great social occasions of the season were the public schools match between Eton and Harrow, the University Match between Oxford and Cambridge, and the Gentlemen v Players , with all three matches attracting great crowds. Crowds became so large that they encroached on the playing area, which necessitated
19140-403: Was diagnosed with fungal heart rot in the 1990s, so was pollarded to encourage new growth. This reduced the height from over 120 feet (37 m) to around 90 feet (27 m). On 7 January 2005 high winds caused the trunk to snap in two, killing the 200-year-old tree and leaving a 7 feet (2.1 m) stump. Wood from the dead tree was made into mementos and sold to supporters. A new lime tree
19285-487: Was first played on the present ground in July 1814, with the MCC playing St John's Wood Cricket Club . The first century to be scored at the ground in first-class cricket was made by Frederick Woodbridge (107) for Epsom against Middlesex, with Epsom's Felix Ladbroke (116) recording the second century in the same match. The annual Eton v Harrow match, which was first played on the Old Ground in 1805, returned to
19430-509: Was formed in 1864 specifically to use the ground more regularly for cricket and improvements began to be made to the ground in the 1870s after the amalgamation of the East (Beverley) and West (Maidstone) Kent Cricket Clubs, forming the current Kent County Cricket Club . The ground was purchased for £4,500 by the county club from the 2nd Earl Sondes in 1896, a purchase partly funded by public subscription , and became Kent's headquarters, although it
19575-432: Was held at Lord's in 1827, at the instigation of Charles Wordsworth , establishing what would be the oldest first-class fixture in the world until 2020. The ground remained under the ownership of Ward until 1835, after which it was handed over to James Dark . The pavilion was refurbished in 1838, with the addition of gas lighting . Around this time Lord's could still be considered a country ground, with open countryside to
19720-553: Was home to the European Cricket Council (ECC) till 2010 and currently is home to ICC Europe, which administers cricket outside of the European full-member nations. With Lord's hosting three matches in the 1999 World Cup , including the final , the MCC set about improving press facilities by constructing the Media Centre at the Nursery End between the Compton and Edrich stands, offering commanding views towards
19865-435: Was not well met by some, with critics suggesting Thomas Lord would 'turn in his grave' at Lord's expansion. 1899 saw Albert Trott hit a six over the pavilion while playing for the MCC against the touring Australians, remaining as of 2024 the only batsman to do so. The Imperial Cricket Conference was founded by England, Australia and South Africa in 1909, with Lord's serving as its headquarters. Lord's hosted three of
20010-535: Was only used for county cricket during the Canterbury week until well into the 20th century. Prior to the purchase of the ground there were few permanent structures on it, accommodation during Cricket Week being provided in tents. The Iron Stand (now named the Les Ames Stand) is the oldest building still on the ground and was built in 1890; this was followed by the Pavilion, which was opened in 1900, and
20155-612: Was planted outside the playing area in 1999 by EW Swanton , with plans to use it as a replacement. The club moved it within the playing area on 8 March 2005, though it was then less than 6 feet (1.8 m) in height. Redevelopment of the north side of the ground in 2017 forced the boundary to be brought forward, so it is no longer possible for the tree to be part of the playing area. The ground includes five stands, four of which are named after famous Kent cricketers. These provide seating for over 2,500 spectators. Outdoor, uncovered seating provides another 3,400 seats. The Frank Woolley Stand
20300-685: Was requisitioned by the army during the First World War , accommodating the Territorial Army, Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and Royal Army Service Corps . Both cooking and wireless instruction classes were held at the ground for military personnel. Once the RAMC departed, the War Office used the Nursery Ground and other buildings as a training centre for Royal Artillery cadets. The pavilion and its long room were used throughout
20445-560: Was short-lived because it lay on the route decided by Parliament for the Regent's Canal , in addition to the ground being unpopular with patrons. The "Middle Ground" was on the estate of the Eyre family, who offered Lord another plot nearby; and he again relocated his turf. This new ground was originally a duck pond on a hill in St. John's Wood , which gives rise to Lord's famous slope, which at
20590-405: Was suggested that Lord's aim to accommodate crowds of up to 40,000 for Test matches; however, the stands at the ground were considered inadequate with the grandstand described as "hopelessly out of date". To accommodate these crowds, the old grandstand was demolished and a new one was built in its place in 1926, designed by the architect Sir Herbert Baker . Completion of the stand was delayed due to
20735-486: Was then decided by a Super Over , which also ended in a tie. Therefore, the winner was decided on the number of boundaries scored in the game and Super Over; this was England's first World Cup triumph. A second match of note followed four days later when Ireland played their first Test match at Lord's , where they bowled England out for 85 on the first morning of the match with Tim Murtagh taking 5 for 13. Despite this, in their second innings Ireland were dismissed for 38,
20880-456: Was thought that the establishment of a new ground would offer more exclusivity to its members, with White Conduit Fields considered too far away from fashionable Oxford Street and the West End . The first match played at the new ground saw Middlesex play Essex . In 1811, feeling obliged to relocate because of a rise in rent, Lord removed his turf and relaid it at his second ground . This
21025-545: Was where Dorset Square now stands. His second ground, Lord's Middle Ground , was used from 1811 to 1813 before being abandoned to make way for the construction through its outfield of the Regent's Canal . The present Lord's ground is about 250 yards (230 m) north-west of the site of the Middle Ground. The ground can hold 31,100 spectators, the capacity having increased between 2017 and 2022 as part of MCC's ongoing redevelopment plans. Acting on behalf of members of
#364635