Stokes Criticizes Lord's Pitch After England's 115-Run Win in 166 Overs
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 7
Stokes Criticizes Lord's Pitch After England's 115-Run Win in 166 Overs
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 7
Summary
166 overs made England's 115-run first-Test win over New Zealand the second-shortest Lord's result, prompting Ben Stokes to say the surface was not good for Test cricket's future.
Variable bounce and persistent seam movement made batting hazardous throughout, and all 40 wickets fell to pace — the first completed Test in England since 1988 without a ball of spin.
MCC acknowledged the pitch fell short of expectations, citing unusually hot, dry May weather followed by wetter conditions before the match.
The criticism lands as Lord's prepares to host two men's Tests, its first women's Test against India, and the Women's T20 World Cup final, with MCC already trialling steaming and drop-in pitch methods.