Richard Mann provides the lowdown on Lord's, which will play host to the second Ashes Test starting on Wednesday.
Overview:
Lord’s, the Home of Cricket, has seen some memorable Ashes moments over the years, and there is always something extra special about an Ashes Test match at this iconic sporting venue.
Lord’s has been a happy hunting ground for Australia, too, with England’s victory in 2009 their first against the old enemy since 1934.
England came out on top in 2013, while the 2019 meeting ended in a draw as the pitch continued its recent trend of holding together well and keeping batsmen in the game even on the final two days.
2019 Ashes: Match drawn
England: 258 & 258-5dec
Australia: 250 & 154-6
Man of the Match: Ben Stokes 115*
After heavy rain washed out the first day, Australia won the toss and made use of helpful bowling conditions to dismiss the hosts for 258.
But England fought back thanks to four wickets from Stuart Broad, before Ben Stokes struck a fine century to leave Australia facing an improbable run chase of 267 in 48 overs.
Despite the best efforts of Jofra Archer who announced himself to Test cricket with a brilliant display of fast bowling across both innings, Australia hung on for a draw as England were denied a series-levelling win.
Last Test match: England v Ireland, 2023 – England won by 10 wickets
Ireland: 172 & 362
England: 524-4dec & 12-0
Man of the Match: Ollie Pope 205
England warmed up for the Ashes against a woefully outclassed Ireland, who in their defence had the worst of conditions, losing the toss and finding themselves batting first on a surface tinged with green.
Stuart Broad made full use of conditions to claim five wickets, before Ollie Pope (205) and Ben Duckett (182) combined for a mammoth partnership of 252. They were backed up by half-centuries from Zak Crawley and Joe Root, captain Ben Stokes declaring before the end of the second day.
True to recent form, the Lord’s pitch held up well and Ireland showed real fight and a good dose of quality in the second innings, rallying to 362 thanks to fifties from Mark Adair and Andy McBrine.
It wasn’t enough to save the visitors, of course, but did ensure Ireland made England bat again and at least finished the match with a degree of respectability.
Betting pointer:
Like many grounds in England, overhead conditions can play a huge role in determining batting conditions at Lord’s. Bat under cloudy skies and it can be tough going for the batsmen, but if the sun shines there are usually runs to be made.
The other factor to consider is how pitches across England, particularly at Lord’s, have tended to last longer than in years gone by. As such, we have often seen more grass left on wickets for the start of Test matches here – helping hold the surface together for longer.
What that means is batting in the first session on the first day can be tough, but in turn, conditions tend to improve in good weather and there are runs to be made in the third and fourth innings where there probably weren’t in the past.
England successfully chased down 277 for the loss of only five wickets against New Zealand here in 2022 as conditions improved for batting, and Ireland’s last-innings effort here just a few weeks ago only strengthened the case for betting runs in the third and fourth innings at Lord’s.
More Ashes content:
- Second Test preview
- Ben Stokes under fire
- Watch: Cricket Only Bettor podcast
- Ashes: England's openers braced for acid test
- Paul Krishnamurty's In-play betting masterclass
- The Ashes: New rules at the Toss
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