Pitch Report: Lord’s

Established: 1814
Capacity: 30,000
Floodlights: Yes
Ends: Pavilion End, Nursery End
Home Team: Middlesex
Test History: 134 Tests; 52 home wins, 33 away wins, 49 draws
Last 10 Tests: 4 home wins, 4 away wins, 2 draws
Last 10 Tosses: 5 bat first (4 wins, 1 draw), 5 field first (1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses)

Overview

As the home of English cricket – indeed world cricket – it has been suggested that Lord’s inspires the opposition more than it does the hosts. Getting onto the famous honours boards is a motivation no-one denies.

The ground is privately owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club (membership 18,000), is the home to the ECB and, from 1909 to 2005, the ICC.

Despite the MCC’s reputation for stuffiness, the ground has been extensively redeveloped to keep it at the forefront of cricketing venues, and many of the additions are strikingly modern without diminishing the famous venue’s historical power.

Last Time Out

England got their Test summer off to a great start as they humbled the Proteas here a few months ago.

A Joe Root century set up England’s first innings after a rain-hit opening day saw the South Africa make inroads, then the tail wagged as Moeen Ali hit 87 and Stuart Broad ended a long wait for a Test fifty. England posted 458 all out,

Moeen was the star with the ball taking four to wrap up the South African tail and help establish a 97 run lead.

England were skittled for 233 second time around but would bowl the visitors out for just 119 in seam-friendly conditions.

They Said

Speaking about the famous slope Proteas quick Vernon Philander said: “There is always a little something in there with the duke ball, conditions here also depend on the overhead.

“We always look forward to playing Test cricket, playing against some of the stronger nations always brings out the best in us. We have a great record away from home so hopefully we can continue with that.

“It [the slope] could play on your mind if you are not used to it.

“I always find it’s a wicket-taking option, when it gets flat here you can use the slope to run it back in, similarly when there is movement.

“You have to get used to it quickly, most of us would have played here and had a feel for it so we can share ideas.”

Happy Hunting Ground

Alastair Cook is second only to Graham Gooch in the runscoring charts at Lord’s having racked up 1818 runs in 23 Tests at the venue at an average of 45.45 including four hundreds and eleven fifties.

James Anderson (81) and Stuart Broad (75) top the all-time wicket taking stakes at the ground.

None of the West Indies young squad have played at Lord’s in a Test before apart from Kemar Roach who bagged six wickets in the 2012 match.

Weather Forecast

There is a bit of rain around on Friday and Sunday but we should get a result on the seam-friendly pitch

Conclusion

They say if you win the toss at Lord’s look up rather than down at the pitch. That cliché has been proven wrong time and again though and the skipper winning the toss would do well to put runs on the board.

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