Lord's Cricket Ground: The Home of Cricket — History, Records & Milestones
Lord's Cricket Ground in London is the most historic Test venue in the world. Founded in 1814, it has hosted 140+ Tests, the first Women's Test (1976), and remains the spiritual home of cricket.
Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London, is the oldest and most celebrated cricket ground in the world. Founded by Thomas Lord in 1814, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) — the custodian of cricket's laws since 1787. Sitting alongside the Long Room, the Ashes urn, and the famous slope across the square, Lord's is the one ground every Test cricketer wants to play at.
Lord's has hosted more than 140 Tests — the most of any ground on the planet. The record Test score at Lord's is 653/4 declared, scored by England against India in 1990. The ground features a unique 8-foot slope from the Grandstand end (Pavilion End) to the Mount Stand end — the only Test ground with a significant cross-pitch gradient, which affects how the ball swings and bounces for every over bowled from the two ends.
Lord's hosted the 1999 Cricket World Cup Final (Australia vs Pakistan) and the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final — the most dramatic ODI final in history. England tied with New Zealand on runs AND in the Super Over, winning the trophy on the boundary count rule (26 to 17). The 2019 Final remains the most scrutinised finish to any limited-overs match in the sport's history.
The honours board inside the Lord's pavilion lists every player who has scored a century or taken five wickets in a Test innings at the ground. The board is cricket's equivalent of sporting immortality — players from Sachin Tendulkar to Hashim Amla to Alastair Cook appear alongside legends stretching back to the early 20th century. Being on the Lord's honours board is a career achievement in itself.
Every Ashes series includes a Test at Lord's that carries extra weight: the tradition, the MCC members in their egg-and-bacon ties, and the players' walk through the Long Room under the gaze of portraits stretching back to W.G. Grace. For Australians in particular, a century at Lord's carries significance equal to anything in their domestic cricket. For England's players, a Test win at Lord's against Australia is among the most prized results in their careers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the slope at Lord's cricket ground?
Lord's has an 8-foot gradient that slopes from the Grandstand end to the Mount Stand end across the square. This means the ball swings and moves differently from each end — a unique feature among Test grounds worldwide that gives different advantages to left-arm and right-arm bowlers.
What happened in the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final at Lord's?
The 2019 ODI World Cup Final between England and New Zealand ended as a tie after 50 overs each (241 runs). The Super Over also ended tied (15 runs each). England won the trophy on the boundary count rule — England had hit 26 boundaries in the match vs New Zealand's 17. The boundary count rule was subsequently removed; future Super Overs are now replayed until a result.