Lord's Cricket Ground

Lord's Cricket Ground, generally known as Lord's, is in St John's Wood, north London, and owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). It is named after its founder Thomas Lord (1755–1832). The current ground was opened in 1814 but there had been two earlier venues called Lord's. The first, opened by Lord in 1787, is now referred to as Lord's Old Ground. It was on the site now occupied by Dorset Square in north London. Lord abandoned it in 1810 because of a disagreement about the lease. He opened his second ground, now referred to as Lord's Middle Ground in 1811. This was at North Bank in St John's Wood, not far from the current ground, but Lord was forced to leave in 1813 after the government requisitioned the land for a section of the Regent's Canal. He dug up his turf and moved to the current site ahead of the 1814 season. The earliest known match played there was MCC v Hertfordshire on 22 June 1814.

Lord's stages international and county cricket on a regular basis. England play at least one Test match at Lord's every year in addition to other international matches. Middlesex County Cricket Club are long-term tenants at Lord's and use the ground for most of their home matches in the County Cricket Championship and other domestic competitions.

Bibliography

• Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC): Lord's – The Home of Cricket. MCC (2018).
• Warner, Pelham: Lord's, 1787–1945. Harrap (1946).