ICC deems Lord's pitch 'unsatisfactory' after England-New Zealand Test
What's the story
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has deemed the pitch at Lord's "unsatisfactory" following last week's first Test between England and New Zealand. The iconic venue has been awarded one demerit point under the ICC's pitch and outfield monitoring process, marking the first time such a sanction has been imposed on the iconic ground. The decision comes after England won their opening game by 115 runs, but not without some controversy over the playing conditions.
Pitch problems
Andy Pycroft's report on pitch conditions
ICC match referee Andy Pycroft noted "plenty of excessive seam movement" and "extremely low" bounce on the pitch. He said, "There was simply an over-balance in favor of ball against bat caused by the pitch." Out of 40 wickets that fell during the match, 24 were either bowled or LBW. The game was cut short by rain, reaching only its fourth morning and becoming the shortest completed Test in nearly 140 years at this venue.
Captain concerns
Players' reaction to poor pitch conditions
Both captains, Ben Stokes (England) and Tom Latham (New Zealand), expressed their dissatisfaction with the pitch conditions. Stokes said, "The game is played over five days, and without a little bit of weather, this wouldn't have finished on day four." He added that such extreme conditions aren't good for Test cricket's future. Latham echoed these sentiments, calling it unfortunate that the match didn't last longer than it did.
MCC admission
MCC accepts responsibility for poor pitch conditions
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which owns and runs Lord's, has also taken responsibility for the poor pitch conditions. Chief executive Rob Lawson admitted in a statement on Sunday that the surface had fallen short of their high standards. He said, "We recognize that the pitch for this Test has shown more variable bounce than we would have wanted."
Future improvements
Lawson explains challenges faced by groundsman
Lawson said that the combination of unusually hot weather in May and rain before the Test had posed several challenges for head groundsman Karl McDermott and his team. He added, "However, we fully recognize the need to act quickly." The MCC has invested heavily in improving playing surfaces over recent years, including "steaming" the pitch and relaying the outfield this winter.
Match
England beat NZ in historic Test
The match, which ended in a 115-run victory for England on the fourth morning, saw 40 wickets fall in just 166 overs, according to ESPNcricinfo. Notably, Lord's became the first venue to host 150 matches in Test history. However, according to Sky Sports Cricket, it was the second-shortest Test on this ground. A wicket fell in nearly every 25 balls.