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Lord’s pitch does not benefit Test format – StokesFigure caption, Analysis – Alison Mitchell, Michael Vaughan and Phil Tufnell discuss Lord’s pitchByStephan Shemilt
England captain Ben Stokes stated the Lord’s pitch on which his side won the first Test against New Zealand is not helpful for the future of the game’s longest format.
The home side began their post-Ashes rebuild by beating the Black Caps by 115 runs before lunch on the fourth day.
On a surface that was incredibly difficult for batting, the match would have been concluded inside two days had it not been for bad weather.
The 166 overs it took to complete the Test makes it the second-shortest to produce a positive result in the 150 matches held at Lord’s, while it was the third-shortest at any ground when all 40 wickets have fallen.
“From someone who loves Test cricket, is that something that will benefit Test cricket? I don’t think so,” Stokes told BBC Test Match Special.
“But nobody’s doing it on purpose. It’s a tough job to be a groundsman.”
The rapid nature of the first Test against New Zealand was in keeping with a recent trend of matches involving England.
The first and fourth Ashes Tests in Australia were both completed inside two days.
“I get asked questions all the time about longevity of this format, people even talk about saving Test cricket, which for me is a bit far,” stated Stokes.
“The game is played over five days and without a little bit of weather this wouldn’t have finished on day four.
“For someone who believes Test cricket should be the best format and should never disappear, that’s not ideal from that point of view.”
In damp conditions at Lord’s, with the match often played under grey skies and floodlights, the ball moved sideways throughout.
The challenge for batters was compounded by some alarming uneven bounce from early in the match. In England’s second innings, both Jacob Bethell and Jamie Smith were bowled by deliveries that kept low.
All 40 wickets in the match fell to seam bowlers – this was the first completed Test to be played in England since 1988 where neither side opted for a single delivery of spin bowling.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan stated he “felt sorry” for the batters involved, while BBC chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew stated the pitch was “really poor”.
Vaughan explains why wickets are falling at Lord’s
In response to the criticism of the pitch, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), owners of Lord’s, admitted the surface had fallen short of expectations.
“We recognise that the pitch for this Test has shown more variable bounce than we would have wanted,” stated MCC chief executive and secretary Rob Lawson.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are naturally frustrated when a surface falls short of those expectations.
“MCC invests significantly each year in the preparation of the main square at Lord’s, as well as 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.”
Lord’s regularly hosts two England men’s Tests each summer and this year will stage its first women’s Test, when England meet India.
After holding the final of the World Test Championship last year, it will also host the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup in July.
In February, the MCC published its cricket strategy, when it stated the “square must be at the forefront of the club’s priorities”.
The MCC has copied a technique of “steaming”, which is used by the All England Lawn Tennis Club for the courts that host Wimbledon.
It involves pumping “200 degrees of steam” seven inches into the turf. The club stated the process will result in “positive improvements”, but also admitted the need to re-lay the square. The MCC is also experimenting with drop-in pitches, which are heavily used in Australia.
For England and Stokes, perhaps the manner of victory was not important following their 4-1 defeat on the Ashes tour of Australia.
All of the skipper, coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key remained in their posts despite the heavy loss down under.
And Stokes admitted he was aware the increased pressure the management may have come under had England been on the wrong end of another defeat.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m very, very happy that we’ve won this week,” he stated. “I knew how big this game was in terms of the result and how it was going to be perceived externally if it didn’t go well.
“I won’t be really happy until I get to share a beer with the boys.
“We’ve won the first game of the summer, it’s great we’ve managed to do it, but we’ve got five more to go. We’re one Test down, and there’s a long way to go still.”
Highlights: Atkinson bowls England to 115-run victory over NZ
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