{"id":247201,"date":"2026-06-07T15:38:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T15:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/07\/mcc-apologises-for-lords-test-pitch-after-stokes-criticises-extreme-conditions\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T15:38:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T15:38:24","slug":"mcc-apologises-for-lords-test-pitch-after-stokes-criticises-extreme-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/07\/mcc-apologises-for-lords-test-pitch-after-stokes-criticises-extreme-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"MCC apologises for Lord\u2019s Test pitch after Stokes criticises \u2018extreme conditions\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

The MCC has apologised for the quality of the Lord\u2019s pitch prepared for the opening game of the series against New Zealand, after the venue\u2019s showpiece 150th<\/a> 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. But for the frequent and lengthy interruptions for rain it would have ended on the second.<\/p>\n

Ben Stokes also criticised \u201cextreme conditions\u201d that \u201care not going to help the game\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

The MCC\u2019s chief executive and secretary, Rob Lawson, said: \u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cMCC 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stokes said: \u201cFor 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\u2011playing 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut without a little bit of weather we probably wouldn\u2019t 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\u2019s not ideal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough for groundsmen. They\u2019re 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\u2019s not going to help the game in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cTest 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\u2019s a draw and everyone goes: \u2018Well this pitch is too flat.\u2019 So it\u2019s tough to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom Latham, the New Zealand captain, was also critical of the surface. \u201cI\u2019m sure the curators didn\u2019t think the wicket was going to play like that, and we certainly didn\u2019t think it was going to play like that,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s been under two full days of cricket played on that surface. It\u2019s wasn\u2019t ideal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great week here at Lord\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
\nQuick Guide<\/span><\/p>\n

How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?<\/h4>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Show<\/span><\/span><\/summary>\n

\n
\n

In the Guardian app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications. Turn on sport notifications.<\/p>\n

If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you\u2019re on the most recent version.<\/p>\n

If you don’t have the Guardian app, download it from the\u00a0iOS App Store<\/a>\u00a0on iPhone or the\u00a0Google Play store<\/a>\u00a0on Android by searching for ‘The Guardian’.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n