Lords, officially named Lord's Cricket Ground, is a cricket venue located in London, England. It is used mostly for cricket matches, hosting the home games of Middlesex County Cricket Club, its owner.
Opened on 22 June 1814 with a match between Middlesex and Hertfordshire, it replaced the original Lord's Cricket Ground, which had been in use since 1787. The seating capacity of the new stadium is currently set at 28,000. The stadium was designed by architect Herbert Baker and had a construction cost of £21,000.
A category A stadium and one of the iconic cricket grounds globally, Lord's has hosted several matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup, including the finals of 1975, 1979, 1983, 1999, and 2019 editions. It is often referred to as the 'Home of Cricket' and is home to the world's oldest sporting museum. By its two hundredth birthday, Lord's Cricket Ground had welcomed more than 3 million spectators. The stadium is one of the potential venues for the 2030 ICC Cricket World Cup, which England is likely to host.
While the previous stadium was also officially named 'Lords', both the old and the new stadia are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Home of Cricket. Lords is the name of the neighborhood the stadium was built on, on the border between the parishes of St. Johns Wood and Marylebone, which itself derives its name from the nearby St. John's Wood Church. This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction; the people of London used to simply call it the Home of Cricket. Therefore, the stadium's common name became 'Home of Cricket', which is usually anglicized to 'Lords'. This translation, however, could be argued to be inaccurate, since Lords refers not to 'home of cricket' but to the original address of the stadium: St. John's Wood Road.
The grounds were established by Thomas Lord in 1814. Since then, it has witnessed some of the most iconic moments in cricket history. The first test match at Lords was played in 1884 between England and Australia. The ground is home to the world's oldest sporting museum, the MCC Museum, which houses a fascinating collection of cricket artifacts, including 'The Ashes'.
The stadium underwent significant renovations in the 20th century, under the guidance of Sir Herbert Baker. The most notable feature of Lords is the iconic 'Media Centre', which was added to the ground in 1999. This futuristic, spaceship-like structure stands in stark contrast to the traditional pavilion, perfectly encapsulating the blend of history and modernity that Lords represents.
Over the years, Lords has hosted numerous memorable matches, including the dramatic 2000th test match between England and India in 2011, and the nail-biting 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand. Known for its sporting spirit and rich history, Lords continues to be a symbol of cricket's enduring appeal and a pilgrimage site for cricket lovers worldwide.
An appropriate location, with excellent access and ample space for future expansion, was identified in the St John's Wood district. Being located on the border between the Regent's Park and Maida Vale neighbourhoods, the new stadium was initially known as 'St John's Wood Ground'.
The club's goal was always to own both the stadium and the terrains, though initially a lease was made on the municipal terrains, with a final buy-out occurring only in 1855. The plans for the sports complex had been sketched as early as the late 1830s by Thomas Lord, a former player for the club.
Driven by the club's president, Thomas Lord, the associates coped with an increased fee for supporting the building costs for the new stadium, offered large donations, and some went as far as to work themselves on the building yard on holidays or weekends. There was even a 'brick campaign', whereby large quantities of bricks were offered to the club.
The works officially started on 22 January 1814. Less than two years after, and at a cost of 1500 pounds, on 21 May 1814 (a national holiday), a 5,000-capacity crowd filled the stadium for the inaugural match against rivals the Hambledon Club.
Lords Cricket Ground (1814): Information about the establishment and history of Lord's Cricket Ground www.mcc.com/archive
Lords (The Home of Cricket) – until 2003: Detailed overview of Lord's Cricket Ground until 2003 www.stadiumdb.com/lords
Lords never loses its charm, Preface, Prime Books, 2003: A book detailing the charm and appeal of Lord's www.primebooks.com/charms
Marylebone Cricket Club 100 glorious years - The History 1, Edition and Content, S.A., 2003: A comprehensive history of the Marylebone Cricket Club www.editioncontent.com/mcchistory
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