England vs New Zealand: Ben Stokes says Lord’s pitch does not benefit Test format
In response to criticism of the pitch, Lord’s owner Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) admitted that the pitch had fallen short of expectations.
“We recognize that the course of this Test has been more volatile than we would have liked,” MCC chief executive and secretary Rob Lawson said.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are naturally disappointed when a surface falls short of those expectations.
“MCC invests significantly in preparing the main square at Lord’s each year, 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 in May, followed by wetter conditions prior to the match, created a number of challenges in pitch preparation.”
Lord’s regularly hosts two England men’s Tests each summer and will host its first women’s Test this year when England take on India.
After hosting 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, stating that “the square must be at the forefront of the club’s priorities”.
MCC copied the “steaming” technique used by the All England Lawn Tennis Club for the courts hosting Wimbledon.
It involves pumping seven inches of “200-degree steam” onto the lawn. The club said the process would result in “positive improvements” but also acknowledged the square would need to be repaved. MCC is also experimenting with drop-in courses, which are used extensively in Australia.
Perhaps the style of victory didn’t matter to England and Stokes following their 4-1 Ashes defeat on the Australia tour.
The captain, coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key all remained in their positions despite heavy losses.
Stokes admitted he was aware of the increasing pressure the management could be under if England were to end up on the wrong end of another defeat.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m very, very happy we won this week,” he said. “I knew how big this game was in terms of results and how it would be perceived from the outside if it didn’t go well.
“I won’t be truly happy until I share a beer with the kids.
“We won the first game of the summer, it’s great to have done that, but we’ve got five more to go. We’re one Test behind and we’ve still got a long way to go.”
