General Information

A cricket venue. Established in 1814 and named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the European Cricket Council (ECC). Lord’s is referred to as the ‘home of cricket’ and houses the world’s oldest sporting museum.

Additional Information

Lord’s hosts Test matches, one-day Internationals, some Middlesex home matches, MCC matches and (starting with a fixture between Middlesex and Surrey in July 2004) some of Middlesex’s home Twenty20 games.
One of the most distinctive and famous features of the Lord’s ground is the significant slope across the field: the north-west side of the playing surface is higher than the south-east side. This slope causes appreciable deviation in bounce of the ball on the pitch, making it easier to move the ball in to right-handed batsmen when bowling from the Pavilion End, and easier to move it away when bowling from the Nursery End. The outfield was notorious for becoming waterlogged and under the chairmanship of the Estates Committee by Maurice de Rohan the whole outfield was relaid over the winter of 2002-2003.

History: Highlights

Lord’s today is not on its original site, being the third of three grounds that Lord established. His first ground, now referred to as Lord’s Old Ground, 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 of the Regent’s Canal.

Pavillon: Highlights

The historic Pavillon is a building which houses dressing rooms and which is the main location for watching the cricket match for members and others. The main survivor of the Victorian era, it was built in 1889-90 to the designs of architect Thomas Verity. The famous Long Room is located there.

Old Father Time: Highlights

Old Father Time is a weather vane in the shape of Father Time, currently adorning a stand on the south-east side of the field.

MCC Museum: Highlights

Lord’s is the home of the MCC Museum, which is the oldest sports museum in the world, and contains the most celebrated cricket-themed collection, including The Ashes. MCC has been collecting memorabilia since 1864. The items on display include curiosities and cricket kits used by famous players.

The Games: Highlights

During this year’s Games, Lord’s will host the archery competition, which will take place in front of the Pavilion on 27 July – 3 August. 128 contestants – 64 men and 64 women – will compete in four medal events: men’s Individual, women’s Individual, men’s Team, and women’s Team.