The Home Of Cricket
Gillian Thornton discovers famous faces and spaces at Lord’s.
THE panoramic view from the J.P. Morgan Media Centre at Lord’s is one of the world’s most famous sporting vistas.
On match days, this hi-tech space buzzes with the energy of the international cricket press, all eyes on the men in white on that legendary green turf below.
Today everything is quiet as I look out over the pitch to empty stands. It’s Monday morning, and as the cricket season draws to a close, that same turf is enjoying a bit of TLC from the team of groundsmen.
Cricket is a massively popular sport, a key component of an English summer – even if we don’t always win!
Last year marked the 150th anniversary of the first cricket tour between England and Australia and, this year, Lord’s will host the final of the World Cup for the sixth time.
I’ve come on a Lord’s
Tour to discover the north-London ground recognised the world over as the Home of Cricket.
Guided tours operate all year round, but the best time to go is out of season, when visitors can see all the key parts of the ground, including the players’ dressing-rooms, the legendary Long Room, and those famous balconies in the MCC Pavilion.
I wouldn’t call myself a cricket enthusiast, but I love hearing the stories behind sporting heroes and major events at venues I normally only see on screen.
And there are plenty of legends here.
Before I even enter the ground – not far from London’s Regent’s Park – I pass through the Grace Gates, erected in 1923 as a memorial to W.G. Grace, one of England’s first national sporting heroes.
A giant of a man with a distinctive beard, Grace died in 1915 but is remembered by all who love the game.
Lord’s cricket ground is named after the amateur cricketer, wine merchant and astute businessman Thomas Lord, who opened his first ground in the Marylebone area of London in 1787.
By the turn of the century, the Marylebone Cricket Club was regarded as London’s leading club, and today, their Laws of Cricket are still in force.
When the lease on the ground expired, Lord moved his ground to St John’s Wood, opening up in 1811, only to move again in 1814 when the new Regent’s Canal was scheduled to run through the middle of his pitch!
In 1823, Lord decided to sell the ground for housing, but accepted an offer for the lease from an MCC member.
Some 40 years on, the club was able to buy the ground, and today it hosts Middlesex County Cricket Club as well as international test matches.
First stop inside the ground is the museum, where I browse cabinets of memorabilia before meeting our guide, Philip.
A stained-glass window of the ground catches my eye. Unveiled by the Rt Hon. John Major MP in 1993, it marked the restoration of this unique museum.
All around me are information panels and artefacts recalling the exploits of batsmen, bowlers and fielders.
I spot Yorkshire fast bowler Freddie Trueman, one of my father’s heroes, and inspect the wealth of letters and trophies, shirts and cricket caps.
There’s even a pair of shoes that once belonged to W.G. Grace himself.
Philip calls our group together. We’ve come from all corners of the British Isles, as well as India, Australia and the West Indies. No surprises there!
In the upstairs gallery, we see a small trophy in a glass case – the original Ashes urn, just four inches high and made of terracotta.