Lord’s Given 'Unsatisfactory' Pitch Rating After England's Test Win Over New Zealand
England's Victory and Pitch Controversy at Lord’s
June 9 (Reuters) - Lord’s has been handed an “unsatisfactory” pitch rating for the first test between England and New Zealand after the hosts sealed a 115-run win inside four days of a rain-hit, bowler-dominated match.
Match Summary and Series Lead
England went 1-0 up in the three-match series after wrapping up the low-scoring contest on the fourth day, with the surface offering variable bounce and making batting difficult.
Pitch Rating and Venue Implications
The venue, often called the "Home of Cricket", received one demerit point that will remain on its record for five years. Any venue accumulating six points over that period faces a one-year ban from hosting international matches.
Match Referee’s Assessment
“There was plenty of excessive seam movement throughout the Test and the ball also kept extremely low on several occasions,” match referee Andy Pycroft Crowe said in a statement from the International Cricket Council on Tuesday.
Balance Between Bat and Ball
“The bounce was variable throughout as 16 wickets fell on the first day and 17 on the second. There was simply an over-balance in favour of ball against bat caused by the pitch.”
Reactions from Teams and Officials
England Captain’s Criticism
England captain Ben Stokes had earlier criticised the surface, saying it was not conducive to test cricket.
MCC’s Response and Apology
Marylebone Cricket Club, which owns the ground, attributed the pitch behaviour to weather conditions and apologised after what became the second-shortest completed test at Lord’s.
Looking Ahead
The second test begins at The Oval on June 17.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
