Cricket pitches can act differently. One can be bowler friendly; a batter's paradise and others can't be played on at all. Nevertheless, all of them are graded by cricket's governing body, ICC, as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
In the case of the latter, the pitch can receive a demerit point/s. That was the case with Lord's pitch that played out England vs. New Zealand. The MCC, the lawmakers and owners; were so ashamed that they banned the use of it for two years.
The pitch that earned Lord's its first-ever demerit point from the ICC has been relaid by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) groundstaff and will be out of action for at least the next two seasons.
Pitch 9, one of the five central strips used for international fixtures at Lord's, was rated "unsatisfactory" by match referee Andy Pycroft after England's win over New Zealand in early June; who cited excessive seam movement and variable bounce. The Test match saw all 40 wickets fall in just 166 overs; with 24 of those dismissals either bowled or lbw.
Mark Nicholas, MCC's chair, devised a seven-point action plan immediately after that Test. Rob Lynch, MCC's director of cricket and operations and the club's groundstaff have since sought expert advice; including commissioning data analysis and work has since begun on what Nicholas has described as "the most comprehensive review of the square and pitch preparation at Lord's in a generation."
Work began on the reconstruction of Pitch 9 earlier this month and it will consequently be unavailable for the next two or three seasons. Nicholas told members in an e-mail on Wednesday that the project would "ensure that the club prepares pitches worthy of the ground's reputation", and warned: "We should all be braced for the scheduling challenges these plans will bring in the coming years."
As well as the unavailability of one central strip; Cricinfo has learned that the Lord's fixture list could be affected by plans to build in a longer 'lead-in' period ahead of marquee events such as Ashes Tests which are designed to maximise the time available for groundstaff to work on pitches.
These plans may see some smaller, recreational fixtures moved from Lord's to Sir Paul Getty's Ground at Wormsley which MCC intend to turn into a partner venue after a successful pilot programme this summer; though details have not yet been confirmed.
MCC plans to use both hybrid pitches and 'permanent drop-in' pitches as part of its long-term pitch strategy. A third hybrid pitch - comprising 95% natural turf and 5% synthetic - will be installed in the spring, and Nicholas said: "Their efficient use will help relieve pressure caused by the loss of Pitch 9 for the next couple of years."
Hybrid pitches are not currently permitted for use in Test matches but can be used for limited-overs internationals if both teams and the ICC agree and are already common in English domestic cricket. They are believed to behave more consistently than standard turf pitches and to provide a quicker turnaround to become 'fresh' again after use.
The club is also producing its first three drop-in trays; the first of which will be moved to the main square in 2028 after an incubation period on the nursery ground. The 'permanent drop-ins' will be installed on a long-term basis, rather than being removed and replaced seasonally like those found at multi-use venues in Australia.
The MCC has acknowledged concerns surrounding the Lord's pitch used for the opening Test between England and New Zealand; admitting that the surface didn't meet the standards expected at the iconic venue.
Following England's 115-run victory, the MCC released a statement addressing the behaviour of the pitch, which came under scrutiny for its inconsistent bounce throughout the match.
The MCC has apologised for the quality of the Lord’s pitch prepared for the opening game of the series against New Zealand, after the venue’s showpiece 150th Test became its first since 1888 to feature fewer than 1 000 legal deliveries.
England wrapped up victory over the tourists by 115 runs shortly before lunch on the fourth day. For the frequent and lengthy interruptions for rain it would have ended on the second.
The club stressed that significant resources are devoted each year to preparing playing surfaces at Lord's. It pointed to ongoing investment in pitch maintenance, research and specialist expertise aimed at producing balanced conditions for both batters and bowlers.
"MCC invests significantly each year in the preparation of the Main Square at Lord's, as well as in research, technology and expertise aimed at producing pitches that provide a fair and consistent contest between bat and ball."
The statement also highlighted the weather challenges faced by the groundstaff in the build-up to the match. According to the MCC, unusually hot and dry conditions during May were followed by wetter weather closer to the Test, creating complications during pitch preparation.
"The unusually hot and dry weather during May, followed by wetter conditions in the lead-up to the match, presented a number of challenges in preparing the pitch."
While acknowledging the issues, the MCC said it is already focused on making improvements and implementing plans outlined in its recently released cricket strategy.
"However, we fully recognise the need to act quickly. We will remain fully focused on applying all aspects of pitch development and improvement as outlined in our recently published MCC Cricket Strategy 2026-29."
England's then-Test captain, Ben Stokes, also criticised "extreme conditions” that “are not going to help the game," with unpredictable bounce and prodigious movement off the seam leading to the breaking of the English record for the most batters being dismissed either lbw or bowled; with only two half-centurions and just nine of the 40 innings lasting 20 balls or more.
The MCC’s chief executive and secretary, Rob Lawson, said: "We recognise that the pitch for this Test has shown more variable bounce than we would have wanted. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are naturally frustrated when a surface falls short of those expectations."
"MCC invests significantly each year in research, technology and expertise aimed at producing pitches that provide a fair and consistent contest between bat and ball. The unusually hot and dry weather during May, followed by wetter conditions in the lead-up to the match, presented a number of challenges in preparing the pitch. We fully recognise the need to act quickly."
Stokes said: "For me the reason why Test cricket is the best format is because it presents its own challenges from one week to another and this week we were presented with conditions that were difficult but we were playing against another team who had exactly the same conditions to come up against."
"But from a non‑playing point of view, I get asked questions all the time about the longevity of this format, people even talking about saving Test cricket, which I think is a bit far."
"But without a little bit of weather we probably wouldn’t have finished on day four. From someone who believes that Test cricket should and always will be the best format and should never disappear, that’s not ideal."
"It’s tough for groundsmen. They’re not actively coming out there and producing wickets that are tricky and have 16 wickets falling in a day. But I get asked all the time about what needs to happen to save Test cricket and when you see extreme conditions like that, that’s not going to help the game in the future.
"Test cricket is played over five days. You want it to be played over as much of the time as possible. But we could turn up next week [at the Oval], the game’s a draw and everyone goes: ‘Well this pitch is too flat.’ So it’s tough to get it right."
Tom Latham, the New Zealand captain, was also critical of the surface. "I’m sure the curators didn’t think the wicket was going to play like that, and we certainly didn’t think it was going to play like that," he said. "There’s been under two full days of cricket played on that surface. It’s wasn’t ideal."
"It’s a great week here at Lord’s and for it to play out like that is unfortunate. Throughout the whole match you see the dismissals were either bowled or lbws, guys being caught on the crease, which shows the guys were not able to trust the surface."
Latham went on to say his team had discussed whether their batting should have been "a little bit more positive…the ball was still doing plenty and the result may have been the same but whether we could have showed a little bit more intent”, while Stokes praised “the way that we committed to trying to score off anything that was slightly loose."
The match was dominated by fast bowlers from start to finish; with only 166 overs required across four innings to produce a result. After being bowled out for 140 in their first innings despite Harry Brook's 56; England hit back strongly as Robinson's 5/39 helped dismiss New Zealand for 113 and secure a 27-run lead.
England then posted 226 in their second innings; thanks to Emilio Gay's patient 57 and Jamie Smith's 39. Although Nathan Smith claimed career-best figures of 6/70, the hosts set New Zealand a challenging target that ultimately proved beyond reach.
Robinson's first-innings five-wicket haul earned him the Player of the Match award as England took a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
England’s captain most valued the result, especially given the need to stem the tide of criticism that followed his side’s poor performances in the Ashes. "I’m not going to lie, I’m very, very happy that we’ve won this week," Stokes said. "I knew how big this game was, in terms of the result and how it was going to be perceived externally if it didn’t go well."
"We’ve won the first game of the summer. It’s great that we managed to do it, but we’ve got five more to go. We’ve got two more against New Zealand, who are a quality team. There’s a long way to go still."
Lord's is due to stage two men's Test matches a year until its staging agreement which runs until 2031. Next summer, it will host two England Tests - against Bangladesh (May 28-June 1) and Australia (June 30-July 4) - but not the World Test Championship finalp; with the ICC instead choosing The Oval to host the showpiece event.
Aside from the New Zealand Test, Lord's hosted two other Tests this summer - England's women against India and England's men against Pakistan - for which the pitches were both rated 'satisfactory'. Their four limited-overs international pitches - across three women's T20 World Cup matchdays and an England men's ODI against India - were rated 'very good'.
I believe this move is a knee jerk reaction and way over the top. Just because the pitch wasn't up to standard doesn't mean a whole revamp is needed. These things happen. Pitches can have their faults. The demerit point will be erased after a few years; provided nothing else happens.