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Floodlit match
September 2007: the first floodlit match at Lord's

Romeo & Juliet 2
'Romeo & Juliet' at Lord's

Archery Indian team
India's women archers: winners of the MCC Cup, Lord's, August 2007

Archery Great Britain
British archers practising at Lord's, August 2007

Claire Taylor salutes the crowd
Claire Taylor celebrates after reaching 150 against India at Lord's, in August 2006

Plaque Unveiling
Andrew Strauss after unveiling, in May 2006, a plaque marking the site of the second Lord's Ground

Makhaya Ntini in action at Lord's during the Tsunami Relief match
Makhaya Ntini bowling in the tsunami fund-raising match at Lord's in 2005

Archery demonstration 1
An archery demonstration at Lord's -which will be the venue for the sport in the 2012 Olympics

"To win a World Cup Final at 'The Home of Cricket' was special. Lord's has such a different feel to it than any other ground." - Glenn McGrath

Long Room refurbishment work
September 2004: work in the Long Room, during the Pavilion refurbishment project

Rachael Heyhoe Flint
In 2004, Rachael Heyhoe Flint became the first woman to be elected to the MCC Committtee

Seethrough sightscreen
The see-through sightscreen, installed in 2004

Gillian Richards
In 2003, Gillian Richards became one of the first female MCC Young Cricketers

Digger
Re-laying the outfield in 2002

1999 World Cup Final
The 1999 World Cup Final at Lord's

Bicentenary Gates
The Bicentenary Gates

"It is now without doubt the ambition of all cricketers to appear in a match at Lord's." - 'The Times', 1887

Milestones

YearEvent

2007

2006

  • Keith Bradshaw becomes the first non-Briton to be chosen as MCC Secretary & Chief Executive.
  • Claire Taylor (left) hits 156 not out against India - the highest ever individual score in a one-day international at Lord's.
  • England's Andrew Strauss (left) and Charlotte Edwards unveil plaques to mark the second Lord's Ground, used between 1811 and 1813.
  • Monty Panesar (right) becomes the first male 'graduate' of an MCC University (Loughborough) to earn an international call-up when he is selected for England's tour of India.

2005

  • International Cricket Council (ICC) leaves at Lord's, for Dubai
  • MCC stages a major fund-raising match at Lord's (see left); 22 of the world's best players help to raise £650,000 for tsunami recovery projects
  • Archery demonstration on the outfield (left) in May; International Olympic Committee announces, in July, that the 2012 Games will be in London, with the archery event at Lord's
  • Completion of seven-month, £8.2 million Pavilion refurbishment project (see left).
  • MCC assumes responsibility for the six University Centres of Cricketing Excellence - renamed the 'MCC Universities'.

2004

  • Lord's attracts record Twenty20 crowd - 27,509 - for its first match in the competition (Middlesex Crusaders v Surrey Lions).
  • Rachael Heyhoe Flint (see left) becomes the first woman to be elected to the MCC Committee.
  • See-through sightscreen installed in front of the Pavilion (see left).

2003

  • MCC's Young Cricketers programme includes female players for the first time (see left, below).

2002

  • Re-laying of the outfield at Lord's (see left).
    MCC becomes the first cricket club in Britain to develop portable pitches.
  • Last Benson & Hedges Cup Final; Warwickshire beat Essex.

2001

  • Women's Varsity Match played at Lord's, on the Nursery Ground, for the first time.
  • England's 100th Test at Lord's; Pakistan beaten by an innings.

2000

  • 100th Test at Lord's; England beat West Indies in three thrilling days.

1999

  • Lord's stages the cricket World Cup Final; Australia beat Pakistan.
  • Investec Media Centre (formerly sponsored by NatWest) opened at Nursery End. (Architects: Future Systems.)

1998

  • MCC votes to admit women as Club Members.
  • 150th anniversary of birth of WG Grace celebrated by MCC v Rest of World match, in aid of the Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
  • Brian Johnston Film Theatre opened in MCC Museum.
  • Third Grand Stand opened. (Architect: Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners.)

1997

  • MCC and ECB launch first Lord's website.
  • Domestic cricket's governing bodies combine to form the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

1996 - 1997

  • Second Grand Stand demolished; building of the third Grand Stand commenced.

1995

  • New Indoor Cricket School opened. (Architect: David Morley.)

1993

  • The England women's cricket team wins the World Cup at Lord's.
  • Re-opening of refurbished MCC Museum.

1991

  • Opening of Compton and Edrich Stands. (Architect: Michael Hopkins & Partners.)

1990

  • Launch of Tours of Lord's.
  • Centenary of the Pavilion.

1989

  • 'Q' Stand renamed the Allen Stand in memory of Sir George Allen.

1988

  • The Ashes leave Lord's for the Australian bicentenary celebrations.
  • Electronic scoreboard installed between the Tavern and the Mound Stands.

1987

  • Bicentenary Gates presented by the Duke of Westminster in memory of Viscount Cobham.
  • New Mound Stand opened by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. (Architect: Michael Hopkins and Partners.)
  • Bicentenary of MCC celebrated by MCC v Rest of World match.

1985

  • Opening of new MCC Library.

1980

  • Centenary Test Match, England v Australia.

1977

  • MCC Indoor School opened by Sir George Allen.

1976

  • First women's match at Lord's: England v Australia in a one-day international.

1975

  • First Prudential World Cup Final; West Indies beat Australia.

1972

  • First Benson & Hedges Cup Final; Leicestershire beat Yorkshire.

1969

  • First meeting of the Cricket Council which comprised of MCC and the newly-formed TCCB and NCA.

1968

  • New Stand opened on site of the old Tavern. (Architect: Kenneth Peacock.)

1967

  • New Tavern opened. (Architect: David Hodges.)

1963

  • First Gillette Cup Final; Sussex beat Worcestershire.

1962

  • Last Gentlemen v Players match.

1958

  • Warner Stand opened on the site of the old 'A' Enclosure. (Architect: Kenneth Peacock.)

1953

  • Coronation Garden made.
  • HRH The Duke of Edinburgh opened the Memorial Gallery to the memory of cricketers of all lands who lost their lives in the two World Wars. (Architect: J.H. Markham.)

1949

  • HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, MCC President.
  • Twenty-six retired professional cricketers who played for England made Honorary Cricket Members of MCC.

1938

  • Introduction of TV cameras at Lord's Test.

1937

  • MCC's 150th anniversary.

1934

  • Harris Memorial Garden made and 'Q' Enclosure built. (Architect: Sir Herbert Baker.)

1925 - 1926

  • Second Grand Stand built and the Father Time weather-vane presented by the architect, Sir Herbert Baker.

1923

  • WG Grace Memorial Gates erected in St John's Wood Road. (Architect: Sir Herbert Baker).

1914

  • Centenary of the Ground on its present site.

1912

  • Australia beat South Africa in the Triangular Tournament, in the only Lord's Test not to feature England.

1909

  • Imperial Cricket Conference inaugurated by England, Australia and South Africa.

1906

  • Press box built.

1904

  • Advisory County Cricket Committee first met at Lord's.

1903 - 1904

  • First MCC tour of Australia.

1902

  • Easter Coaching Classes began.

1899

  • Albert Trott hits a shot clean over the Pavilion - a feat never since repeated.

1898 - 1899

  • Mound Stand built on the site of the old tennis court; new tennis court built behind the Pavilion.
  • Board of Control for Test Matches at home first met at Lord's.

1889 - 1890

  • Present Pavilion built. (Architect: Thomas Verity.)

1888

  • Bill to take over the Ground for extensive railway development rejected.

1887

  • Centenary of MCC. Three and a half acres of Henderson's Nursery purchased (hence 'Nursery End').

1884

  • First Test match at Lord's; England beat Australia by an innings.

1877

  • Middlesex County Cricket Club first played at Lord's.

1875

  • MCC Tennis & Racquets sub-committee drafted first laws of Lawn Tennis.

1868

  • Aboriginal cricketers play at Lord's - the first Australian team to visit England.

1867 - 1868

  • Second Tavern built. (Architect: Edward Paraire.)

1866 - 1867

  • First Grand Stand erected. (Architect: Arthur Allom.)

1866 - 1867

  • Freehold of the Ground purchased for £18,333 6s 8d. with money advanced by William Nicholson.

1865

  • Pavilion enlarged.

1864

  • First groundsman engaged.

1860

  • Freehold of the Ground sold by the Eyre Estate to Mr Moses for £7,000; MCC did not bid.

1848

  • A printing tent was first erected on the Ground and match cards sold.

1846

  • First telegraph scoreboard installed.

1838

  • Tennis court built on the site of the present Mound Stand.
  • Pavilion lit by gas.

1837

  • Diamond jubilee of MCC celebrated by a grand North v South match.

1835

  • Lord's Ground lease transferred to JH Dark, who remained proprietor until 1864.

1832

  • Thomas Lord died at West Meon.

1827

  • First Oxford v Cambridge match at Lord's.

1825

  • Pavilion destroyed by fire, with the loss of all records.

1814

  • Lord's Ground was moved to its third and present site.

1811

  • MCC moved to North Bank, Regent's Park.

1806

  • First Gentlemen v Players match.

1805

  • First Eton v Harrow match (Lord Byron was in the Harrow team.)

1787

  • Thomas Lord (born in 1755, in Thirsk) opened his first ground in Dorset Fields and MCC was formed.

Ashes urn returns to Lord's
The Ashes urn returns to the MCC Museum with curator Adam Chadwick

Monty Panesar in his MCC Universities jersey
Monty Panesar in the Indoor Cricket School

"Lord's. It has always meant something special." - Monty Panesar

See also

Shop at Lord's

Tom Graveney's book
Tom Graveney: A year at The Home of Cricket