Lord's to lose one of its Tests?

[stumpski]

Although there are now seven Test grounds in England, and may soon be nine, Lord's continues to host two Tests a year, meaning that other grounds miss out. Looks like that may be about to change though.

About time too I say. No doubt touring sides want to play there, but so what? I dare say when Bangladesh tour Australia they want to play a Test at the MCG, but it's not likely to happen. And as for that tired old cliche about Lord's being the 'home of cricket' - well I would suggest that's only the case if you're an MCC member, or happen to support Middlesex. No room for this sentimental old twaddle in the 21st century. Bound to outrage the red-and-yellow tie brigade, though.

 

[Poker Boy]

Totaly agree - maintaing a Test match ground is not cheap yet evn in this era of seven Tests per year Edgbaston (as is the case this year) misses out on one while Lord's gets two. I don't think its very fair. Needless to say the MCC are bleating, but pre 1965 when there was only one touring team here, Lord's had only one Test and pre 2000 Lord's still had only one Test in years where there was only one touring team, so the two Tests per year is a reletively new happening. IMO the main six Test grounds should get one Test per year with the seventh rotating betwen Chester le Street, Cardiff and the Rose Bowl if the later becomes a Test venue. Why should we run our schedules to suit other teams? PS -IMO Australia should never play a Test at Lord's because of our bad record against Australia there - why keep handing them a one match start?

 

[Scaly piscine]

No way Chester le Street should be lower in the pecking order than Headingley.

Yes it's about time Lord's lost a Test, also the Oval shouldn't be guaranteed a Test each season above other grounds.

 

[silentstriker]

Nooo...I love that slope. Financially, I can certainly see why it is unfair but its such a fantastic ground. But, one of my dreams is to watch a Test match at Lord's....

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, London gets three out of seven which is franly ridiculous, and no doubt if we dropped to six Tests, they'd continue with the status quo. Put The Oval on rotation with the rest, and jsut give Lord's one a year, simple really

 

[steds]

IMO the main six Test grounds should get one Test per year with the seventh rotating betwen Chester le Street, Cardiff and the Rose Bowl if the later becomes a Test venue.

Agreed.

 

[stumpski]

There is a good case for saying that The Oval should always have one, given that it's always sold out months in advance regardless of the opposition. They do sometimes struggle to fill the stands at some of the northern grounds, which I find hard to understand. Either the people of Yorkshire, say, want Test cricket, or they don't. It's not cheap to watch Test cricket in England, but Manchester Utd, Liverpool and others pack their stands throughout the winter at similar prices.

 

[steds]

Yorkies are tight, though. Wait to see the weather in the morning before they turn out.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I personally think Lords is an exception, it being the home of cricket & all. No doubt that if you asked any overseas player (except possibly those with strong county ties) where they'd most like to perform in a test & they'd say Lords.

Of course that's probably a pretty good reason why Lords shouldn't get any tests ever too.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I also think Lord's loses some prestige by having 2 Tests a season, it becomes less special for England players and fans.

 

[TT Boy]

Yorkies are tight, though. Wait to see the weather in the morning before they turn out.

Also the Yorkshire crowd is notoriously the worst behaved when England play. At least Lords has a relatively 'nice' if a bit dour atmosphere, where drunken cross dressing jingoism isn’t the flavour of the day.

 

[steds]

Also the Yorkshire crowd is notoriously the worst behaved when England play. At least Lords has a relatively 'nice' if a bit dour atmosphere, where drunken cross dressing jingoism isn’t the flavour of the day.

Yes, but what's that got to do with anything? My post was in reply to the one above, which was comparing attendances at the Oval to those of Headingley.

 

[TT Boy]

Yes, but what's that got to do with anything? My post was in reply to the one above, which was comparing attendances at the Oval to those of Headingley.

Just a passing comment on another reason for why Yorkshire should not be a test ground, other than the fact that it is not always a sell out.

 

[steds]

Just a passing comment on another reason for why Yorkshire should not be a test ground, other than the fact that it is not always a sell out.

Fair enough. The fact it's Yorkshire should be a good enough reason, though.

 

[Richard]

Also the Yorkshire crowd is notoriously the worst behaved when England play. At least Lords has a relatively 'nice' if a bit dour atmosphere, where drunken cross dressing jingoism isn’t the flavour of the day.

That's honestly the most utterly exaggerated thing in the history of The World (YES, EXAGGERATION USED!!!!!!!!!!!). There's some crap as goes on at Headingley, but there's no way it's streets "ahead" of anywhere else in bad-behaviour.

Almost invariably it's restricted to one stand where the ****s hang-out, too.

 

[Beleg]

hey!

Yorkshire crowd is awesome. Headingley's got a real cricketing atmosphere going on, unlike sterile corporate concreteholes like bristol or even edgbaston.

I like Riverside ground though.

 

[Perm]

Let's use this current tour as an example then, can you imagine how unfair it would feel for the Indian team to not play a Test at Lords? In reality they probably would've dropped the West Indies Test, but the same reasoning applies. If this happens then the boards will jostle and argue even more as to whether they should play at Lords.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Trent Bridge making the case for Lords quite eloquently, it seems.

 

[PhoenixFire]

That's honestly the most utterly exaggerated thing in the history of The World (YES, EXAGGERATION USED!!!!!!!!!!!). There's some crap as goes on at Headingley, but there's no way it's streets "ahead" of anywhere else in bad-behaviour.

Almost invariably it's restricted to one stand where the ****s hang-out, too.

hey!

Yorkshire crowd is awesome. Headingley's got a real cricketing atmosphere going on, unlike sterile corporate concreteholes like bristol or even edgbaston.

I like Riverside ground though.

AWTA. Yorkshire fans show true passion for the game, and if that includes about 10 drunken idiots that you get at every ground, then so be it.

 

[silentstriker]

Yup, IMO if Tests grounds where there is a decent chance of rain don't install state of the art drainage systems, they should lose their Test status.