The MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) admitted that the pitch used for the opening Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s had not been up to its normal standard after a difficult batting surface forced an unusual early finish.
The Test, played at the historic venue for its 150th men’s Test match, was finished in just 167 overs across four innings – making it the second-shortest men’s Test ever played at Lord’s. Rain delays forced the contest into a fourth day, and it might have been an even shorter game had the pitch not made batting so difficult.
Bowlers ruled field as both the teams batters found it hard to score runs in a match where the pitch had inconsistent bounce, with stroke play rarely happening and bowlers enjoying increased advantage. Only two half-centuries were scored in the whole Test, it summed up how much batting had become a nightmare. The erratic nature of the wicket attracted a lot of attention from players, analysts and fans alike, and questions were raised regarding the quality of surface prepared for such a prestigious occasion.
After the match had concluded, MCC chief executive and secretary Rob Lawson admitted the pitch had not been up to scratch and was disappointed with its performance. He said the club aim for Lord’s playing surfaces to be of the best standard and conceded that the wicket didn’t provide the level of consistency expected at the ground.
Lawson said the pitch had more uneven bounce than anticipated, leaving things imbalanced in the bat and ball contest. He stressed that MCC was keen on preserving Lord’s place as one of cricket’s biggest venues and is already planning measures to tackle the matter.
A statement from the club pledged to investigate what caused the pitch to behave as it did and said they would move quickly “to ensure that all future surfaces provide a more balanced and competitive playing surface.” Though England won the match emphatically, the post-match discussion came back to the state of the wicket and how grounds at a storied London venue must improve, in advance of international fixtures.
