Lord's facts for kids
Lord's current logo
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The Pavilion
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| Ground information | |
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| Location | St John's Wood, London, England |
| Coordinates | 51°31′46″N 0°10′22″W / 51.5294°N 0.1727°W |
| Establishment | 1814 |
| Capacity | 31,100 |
| Owner | Marylebone Cricket Club |
| Tenants | England and Wales Cricket Board |
| End names | |
Nursery End  Pavilion End |
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| International information | |
| First Test | 21–23 July 1884: England v Australia |
| Last Test | 28 June – 2 July 2023: England v Australia |
| First ODI | 26 August 1972: England v Australia |
| Last ODI | 15 September 2023: England v New Zealand |
| First T20I | 5 June 2009: England v Netherlands |
| Last T20I | 29 July 2018: Nepal v Netherlands |
| Domestic team information | |
| Marylebone Cricket Club (1814 – present) Middlesex (1877 – present) |
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Lord's Cricket Ground, often called Lord's, is a famous cricket stadium in St John's Wood, London. It's named after its founder, Thomas Lord. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) owns it. It is also the home ground for Middlesex County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Many people call Lord's the Home of Cricket. It also has the world's oldest sports museum.
The Lord's you see today is not the first one. It's actually the third ground Thomas Lord created between 1787 and 1814. His first ground, called Lord's Old Ground, is now where Dorset Square is. The second ground, Lord's Middle Ground, was used from 1811 to 1813. It had to close for the Regent's Canal to be built. The current Lord's ground is about 250 yards (228 meters) north-west of the Middle Ground site. The stadium can hold 31,100 fans. Its size grew between 2017 and 2022 due to new building plans.
Contents
History of Lord's Cricket Ground
How Lord's Began
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Thomas Lord opened his first cricket ground in May 1787. It was on land where Dorset Square is now. He did this for members of the White Conduit Club. They moved from Islington because they didn't like their old ground. They then formed the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The new ground was closer to popular areas like Oxford Street. The first match there was between Middlesex and Essex.
In 1811, Lord had to move his ground because the rent went up. He moved his turf to his second ground. But this ground didn't last long. It was in the way of the planned Regent's Canal. Also, fans didn't like it much.
The Eyre family, who owned the Middle Ground land, offered Lord another spot nearby. So, he moved his turf again. This new ground, the current Lord's, used to be a duck pond on a hill in St. John's Wood. This is why the ground has its famous slope. The slope goes down about 8 feet (2.4 meters) from north-west to south-east. The new ground opened in 1814. The MCC played Hertfordshire in the first match there on June 22, 1814.
Early Years and Growth
A tavern (a type of pub) was built for Lord in 1813–14. Then, a wooden pavilion followed in 1814. The first important cricket match was played here in July 1814. The MCC played against St John's Wood Cricket Club. The first player to score 100 runs (a century) at Lord's was Frederick Woodbridge in 1814.
The yearly Eton v Harrow match, which started in 1805, came back to Lord's in 1818. Since 1822, this match has almost always been played at Lord's. In 1820, William Ward scored 278 runs. This was the first time anyone scored over 200 runs in an important match.
The first pavilion burned down in 1823 after a match. This fire destroyed many of the MCC's early records. Lord quickly rebuilt the pavilion. In 1825, Lord wanted to build houses on the ground. But William Ward saved it by buying the ground for £5,000.
The first University Match between Oxford and Cambridge happened at Lord's in 1827. This became the oldest yearly important cricket match in the world. William Ward owned the ground until 1835. Then, James Dark took over. The pavilion got gas lighting in 1838.
In the 1840s, Lord's was still like a country ground. It had open fields around it. Improvements were slowly made. A scoreboard was added in 1846. A special room for professional players was built in 1848. Scorecards were used for the first time in the same year. Drainage was put in the ground in 1849–50.
The Australian Aboriginal cricket team played at Lord's in 1868. Some people didn't like it. The The Times newspaper called it "a travestie upon cricketing at Lord's." In 1866, the MCC bought the ground for £18,150. This was a big step for the club.
After buying the ground, many changes happened. Cricket nets were added for practice. A grandstand was built in 1867–68. It also had space for the press. The cricket pitch at Lord's was criticized in the 1860s for being in bad shape. But it got better after Percy Pearce became Ground Superintendent in 1874.
Modernizing Lord's Cricket Ground
By the 1860s and 1870s, big matches like Eton v Harrow and Oxford v Cambridge drew huge crowds. Fans would often go onto the field. So, the boundary system was brought in in 1866. Turnstiles were added in 1871 to help control the crowds. The pavilion was made bigger in the mid-1860s. A new tavern was also built.
Middlesex County Cricket Club started playing their home games at Lord's in 1877. This happened after they left their old ground in Chelsea. An embankment was built in 1873–74. It could hold 4,000 fans. A temporary stand was also put up on the eastern side.
The Australian cricket team first played at Lord's on May 27, 1878. They beat the MCC team by 9 wickets. This was a big surprise and started the famous rivalry between England and Australia. Lord's hosted its first Test match in 1884. This was during the Ashes series. England won this match.
In 1887, for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, kings from Belgium, Denmark, Saxony, and Portugal visited Lord's. They didn't understand cricket at all! A new pavilion was built in 1889–90. It cost £21,000. The old pavilion was moved and used as a garden shed in Sussex.
Soon after, the MCC bought the land to the east. This area is now called the Nursery Ground. It used to be a garden growing pineapples and tulips. The ground was almost bought by a railway company. But the MCC gave them a small strip of land instead. Tunnels for the railway were built under the Nursery Ground from 1894 to 1898. After that, the railway company laid a new pitch.
In 1899, Albert Trott hit a six over the pavilion. He is still the only player to do this. The Imperial Cricket Conference was started at Lord's in 1909. Lord's was its main office.
Lord's was used by the army during the First World War. They held cooking and radio classes there. The pavilion was used to make hay nets for horses on the Western Front. Even so, Lord's held charity cricket matches during the war. These matches featured military teams from the British Empire. King George V even attended one match in 1918.
Lord's Between the Wars and During WWII
Important cricket matches returned to Lord's in 1919. In 1923, the Grace Gates were put up. They honored W. G. Grace, a famous cricketer who died in 1915. These gates replaced an older entrance.
More people wanted to watch cricket. So, a new grandstand was built in 1926. It was designed by Sir Herbert Baker. He also gave Lord's a weather vane called Father Time. It shows a figure removing the bails from a wicket. It sits on top of the grandstand. Father Time is 5 feet 4 inches (1.6 meters) tall.
Baker also designed the Q Stand in 1934. Other stands were built at the Nursery End. The West Indies played their first Test match at Lord's in 1928. Lord's also hosted the first televised Test match in 1938.
During the Second World War, Lord's was not taken over by the military. It hosted matches throughout the war. The ground was lucky and didn't get much damage from bombs. An oil bomb landed in the Nursery Ground in 1940. The grandstand and pavilion were hit by fire bombs, but Lord's firefighters quickly put them out.
In 1944, V-1 flying bombs nearly hit Lord's. One landed 200 yards (182 meters) away. The Nursery Ground was used by the Royal Air Force for barrage balloons. Father Time was damaged by one of these balloons. It broke loose and crashed into the grandstand. After the war, international cricket started again. Lord's hosted some "Victory Tests."
Lord's After the Wars
After the war, more people came to cricket matches. In 1948, a Test match had a record 132,000 fans. This meant the ground needed to grow more. The Warner Stand was built in 1958. It had snack bars and a press box.
By the late 1950s, fewer people were coming to matches. To fix this, one-day cricket was started in 1963. Lord's hosted its first one-day match in 1963. It also held the final of the competition. This was the first such final in the world. The old tavern was knocked down in 1968. The Tavern Stand was built in its place. The tavern was then moved next to the Grace Gates.
Lord's hosted its first One Day International (ODI) in 1972. Australia beat England. Three years later, Lord's held the final of the first men's World Cup. The West Indies won. They also won the 1979 World Cup final at Lord's.
The first women's cricket match at Lord's was in August 1976. England played Australia in a one-day match. England won. This match happened because Rachael Heyhoe Flint pushed for it. Lord's hosted the final of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 1993. England beat New Zealand to win.
A new indoor cricket school was finished in 1973. The West Indies played in their third World Cup final in 1983. But they lost to India. The Mound Stand was knocked down in 1985. A new one opened in 1987 for the MCC's 200th birthday.
Graham Gooch scored 333 runs in a Test match at Lord's in 1990. This was the first triple-century there. The 1990s saw many changes at Lord's. The Compton and Edrich stands were finished in 1991. A new indoor cricket center opened in 1995. The old grandstand was replaced in 1998.
Since 1997, Lord's has been home to the European Cricket Council (ECC). It is now home to ICC Europe. Lord's hosted three matches in the 1999 World Cup, including the final. The Media Centre was built for the press. It opened in April 1999.
Lord's in the 21st Century
Lord's hosted its 100th Test match in June 2000. England beat the West Indies. The famous Lord's slope helps bowlers. Some wanted to level it, but the MCC said no. Leveling it would mean rebuilding Lord's. Test cricket couldn't be played there for five years.
The outfield used to get very wet. So, it was relaid in 2002. Clay soil was replaced with sand to improve drainage. Lord's hosted its first Twenty20 match in 2004. In 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC) moved its headquarters from Lord's to Dubai.
Temporary floodlights were put up in 2007. But they were removed in 2008 because of complaints about light pollution. In 2009, new, taller floodlights were approved. They can be pulled back to reduce light. They were first used on May 27, 2009. Lord's hosted its first Twenty20 International in 2009. Pakistan won the final there.
In 2013, the Lord's Masterplan was revealed. This is a 20-year plan to improve the ground. The Warner Stand was rebuilt between 2015 and 2017. The Compton and Edrich Stands were rebuilt from 2019 to 2021. They added 2,000 more seats.
Lord's celebrated its 200th birthday in 2014. A special match was played. An MCC team led by Sachin Tendulkar played a Rest of the World team led by Shane Warne.
In July 2019, two big matches happened. The 2019 World Cup Final between England and New Zealand ended in a tie. England won based on scoring more boundaries. Four days later, Ireland played their first Test match at Lord's. They bowled England out for 85 runs. But Ireland was later bowled out for only 38 runs, the lowest Test total at Lord's. They lost the match.
In August 2022, the East Gate was renamed the Heyhoe Flint Gate. This honored Rachael Heyhoe Flint.
Features of Lord's Cricket Ground
Stadium Stands
As of 2025, the stands at Lord's are:
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Warner Stand
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Grand Stand
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Compton Stand
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Edrich Stand
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Mound Stand (left)
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Tavern Stand
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Allen Stand (right) (formerly Q Stand)
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Overview of the stands at Lord's
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Many stands were rebuilt in the late 1900s. The new Mound Stand opened in 1987. The Grand Stand, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw, opened in 1996. The Media Centre was added in 1999. It is opposite the Pavilion. It won an award for its design. The Compton and Edrich Stands were finished in 2021. They added 2,600 seats. The ground can now hold 31,100 fans.
The two ends of the pitch are the Pavilion End (south-west) and the Nursery End (north-east). The Media Centre is at the Nursery End. The current Grand Stand replaced an older one from 1926. The old stand had many seats with blocked views.
The Famous Pavilion
The current pavilion at Lord's is the third one. It was built in 1889–90. It is a very old and important building. It has been a protected building since 1982. The pavilion is made of brick with fancy decorations. It has a long middle section with covered seating. There are two towers at each end.
The pavilion roof terrace is on the second floor. It gives great views of the whole ground. The pavilion was renovated in 2004–05. It is mainly for members of the MCC. They can use its facilities, like viewing seats and the Long Room. For Middlesex matches, members of the Middlesex County Cricket Club can also use it. The pavilion also has the dressing rooms for players. Each room has a small balcony.
The Long Room is on the ground floor of the pavilion. It's called "the most evocative four walls in world cricket." Players walk through the Long Room to get to the cricket field. This walk is known for being long and tricky. The Long Room has paintings of famous cricketers. Most are English players. It's a big honor for an overseas player to have their portrait there.
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In the players' dressing rooms are the honors boards. These boards list players who have scored centuries or taken five wicket hauls (5 wickets) or ten wicket hauls (10 wickets) in a match. There are boards for England players and for players from other countries. Since 2019, there's also an honors board for ODIs.
The dress code in the pavilion is very strict. Men must wear "ties and tailored coats and acceptable trousers with appropriate shoes." Women must wear "dresses; or skirts or trousers worn with blouses, and appropriate shoes." Until 1999, women were not allowed in the pavilion as members during play. This changed when the MCC allowed female members.
Media Centre for News and Broadcasts
The decision to build the Media Centre was made in 1995. The old media facilities were not good enough. They could only hold 90 journalists. The new center was built between the Compton and Edrich Stands. It stands 15 meters (49 feet) above the ground. This design allows people and equipment to move easily between the main ground and the Nursery Ground.
It was designed by Future Systems. It was the first building made entirely of aluminum. It cost about £5 million. Building started in 1997 and finished for the 1999 World Cup. The front windows are tilted to stop reflections. This helps media members see the players clearly.
The lower part of the center holds 118 journalists. It also has two hospitality boxes. The top part has radio and TV commentary boxes. It has two TV studios and two large commentary boxes. The building won eight architecture awards. It won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 1999.
The Nursery Ground
The MCC bought the Nursery Ground in two parts, in 1838 and 1887. It is mainly used for practice. It has some of the best grass nets in the world. The Nursery Pavilion was built in 1999. It overlooks the Nursery Ground. It is one of London's largest event venues.
The Nursery Ground hosted one important cricket match in 1903. The MCC played Yorkshire. Heavy rain made the main ground unplayable. So, the third day of the match was played on the Nursery Ground.
The Women's University Match has been played on the Nursery Ground since 2001. But from 2022, the women's match will be played on the main Lord's ground. On big match days, fans can go onto the outfield. The Cross Arrows Cricket Club plays their home matches here. The new Compton and Edrich stands took up some of the Nursery Ground. The temporary Nursery Pavilion will be removed in 2025–26. This will make the playing area bigger.
MCC Museum and Library
Lord's is home to the MCC Museum. It is the oldest sports museum in the world. It has the most famous collection of cricket items, including The Ashes urn. The MCC has been collecting things since 1864. These items were first shown in the pavilion. Only MCC members could see them.
After World War II, the collection grew too big for the pavilion. It was moved to an old rackets court. This new place also honored MCC members who died in the wars. Diana Rait Kerr became the first full-time curator in 1945. The museum opened to the public in 1953. Today, about 50,000 people visit the museum each year.
The museum shows cricket gear used by famous players like Don Bradman and Shane Warne. It also has items about W. G. Grace. There's even a stuffed sparrow that was "bowled out" in a match in 1936! The museum also has a damaged copy of Wisden that helped E. W. Swanton survive a Japanese prison camp. The museum collects new items and commissions new art. It has a cinema that shows old cricket videos. It also works with other museums and schools.
Lord's also has one of the biggest collections of cricket books. The library has over 20,000 books. It adds about 400 new books each year. The library is for MCC members on match days. But it's open to others by appointment on non-match days.
Gardens at Lord's
Lord's has two gardens: the Harris Garden and the Coronation Garden. The Coronation Garden was made in 1952. It celebrated the Coronation of Elizabeth II. It has Ash trees and benches for shade. It also has an old cast iron roller from the 1880s. A large bronze statue of W. G. Grace stands here. This garden is popular for picnics on match days.
The Harris Garden used to be tennis courts. It became a rose garden in 1934. It honors Lord Harris. The garden was restored in 2018. Its flower beds have flowers from all the Test playing nations. The Harris Garden can be rented for private events.
Other Sports Played at Lord's
Pelham Warner thought that real tennis was the only other important sport at Lord's. A real tennis court was built in 1838. It cost £4,000, which was a lot back then. A real tennis competition started in 1867. This court was removed in 1898 for the Mound Stand. A new court was built in 1900. By 2005, the MCC had 200 real tennis members.
Rackets has been played at Lord's since 1844. It is played in the same building as real tennis. Lord's hosted the Public Schools Championship in 1866.
When lawn tennis became popular, the MCC decided to build a tennis court in 1875. The MCC, as the governing body for rackets and real tennis, helped create the first official rules for lawn tennis in 1875. These rules were later changed for the 1877 Wimbledon Championship. The tennis courts at Lord's that these rules were based on are now part of the Harris Garden.
The northern part of the Nursery Ground was bought in 1838 to be an archery venue. Archery was played at Lord's as early as 1844. Lord's was a venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics. It hosted the archery competition. The archers shot in front of the pavilion. Temporary stands were set up for 5,000 fans.
Lacrosse was first played at Lord's in 1833 by Canadian pioneers. It returned in 1876 for an exhibition match. A Canadian team played an Iroquois Indians team. Lacrosse was also played at Lord's in 1953.
Baseball was first played at Lord's in 1874. The MCC hosted two top American teams. The Boston Red Stockings beat the Philadelphia Athletics 24–7. About 5,000 fans watched. A baseball game was also held during World War I to raise money for Canadian war widows.
Lord's hosted the London pre-1968 Olympics field hockey tournament in 1967. A match between India and Pakistan was shown live on the BBC. This was new for field hockey. Pakistan won that match. Lord's hosted more international hockey matches in the 1970s. The University Match between Oxford and Cambridge hockey clubs was played at Lord's for 21 years.
Other sports played at Lord's include lawn bowls and billiards. A bowling green was built in 1838. A billiards room was added to the tavern. Professional billiards players played matches there. In the 1840s and 1850s, Lord's even held Galloway pony races after the cricket season.
International Cricket Records at Lord's
Test Match Records
- Highest team score: 729/6 declared by Australia vs England, 1930
- Lowest team score: 38 all out by Ireland vs England, 2019
- Highest individual score: 333 by Graham Gooch for England vs India, 1990
- Best bowling in one innings: 8/34 by Ian Botham for England vs Pakistan, 1978
- Best bowling in a match: 16/137 by Bob Massie for Australia vs England, 1972
One Day International (ODI) Records
- Highest team score: 334/4 (60 overs) by England vs India, 1975
- Lowest team score: 107 all out (32.1 overs) by South Africa vs England, 2003
- Highest individual score: 138* by Viv Richards for West Indies vs England, 1979
- Best bowling in one innings: 6/24 by Reece Topley for England vs India, 2022
Twenty20 International (T20I) Records
- Highest team score: 199/4 (20 overs) by West Indies vs ICC World XI, 2018
- Lowest team score: 93 all out (17.3 overs) by Netherlands vs Pakistan, 2009
- Highest individual score: 78 by Mahela Jayawardene for Sri Lanka vs Ireland, 2009
- Best bowling in one innings: 4/11 by Shahid Afridi for Pakistan vs Netherlands, 2009
All records are correct as of 12 June 2025.
Domestic Cricket Records at Lord's
First-class Match Records
- Highest team score: 655 by Middlesex vs Glamorgan, 2024.
- Lowest team score: 15 by MCC vs Surrey, 1839
- Highest individual score: 335* by Sam Northeast for Glamorgan vs Middlesex, 2024.
- Three bowlers have taken ten wickets in an innings with figures not fully recorded but known to be under 20 runs. They are William Lillywhite, Edmund Hinkly and John Wisden. The best recorded figures are Samuel Butler's 10 for 38 for Oxford University vs Cambridge University in 1871.
- William Lillywhite has taken the most wickets in a match, with 18 for the Players vs Gentlemen in 1837. His exact figures are not recorded.
List A Match Records
- Highest team score: 368/2 (50 overs) by Nottinghamshire vs Middlesex, 2014
- Lowest team score: 57 (27.2 overs) by Essex vs Lancashire, 1996
- Highest individual score: 187* by Alex Hales for Nottinghamshire vs Surrey, 2017
- Best bowling in one innings: 7/22 by Jeff Thomson for Middlesex vs Hampshire, 1981
Twenty20 Match Records
- Highest team score: 223/7 (20 overs) by Surrey vs Middlesex, 2021
- Lowest team score: 90 (14.4 overs) by Kent vs Middlesex, 2015
- Highest individual score: 102 not out by Stephen Eskinazi for Middlesex vs Essex, 2021
- Best bowling in one innings: 6/24 by Tim Murtagh for Surrey vs Middlesex, 2005
All records are correct as of 12 June 2025.
See also
In Spanish: Lord's Cricket Ground para niños
- List of cricket grounds by capacity
- Lists of stadiums
