See-through sightscreen installed at Lord's

Date released: 4 May 2004

A revolutionary see-through sightscreen has been installed in front of the Pavilion at Lord's.

The new sightscreen has replaced the Pavilion's previous wooden structure - which often prevented many cricket-watchers, in areas such as the Long Room, from following the play.

The use of clear polycarbonate gives the sightscreen its transparency, for the benefit of such spectators; meanwhile, the application of a 'contravision' coating, on its pitch-facing side, ensures that the sightscreen appears suitably white to batsmen facing deliveries from the Pavilion end. (As before, different arrangements will apply when a match is being played with a white ball.)

MCC's Secretary & Chief Executive, Roger Knight, said: "The old sightscreen caused real problems for people trying to watch the cricket from the Pavilion's ground floor. After looking into a large number of options, I believe that we have found the right answer. The new see-through sightscreen, with its contravision coating, meets the interests of players and spectators alike. Its installation reflects our commitment to a policy of continuous improvement - to ensure that Lord's remains not only world-famous but world-class."

The sightscreen is MCC's latest innovation at Lord's - following the purchase of the Amlin-sponsored hover-cover, the installation of a fast-draining sand-based outfield and the development of the country's first portable pitches.