KEEPING LORD'S WORLD CLASS
Founded in 1787, Marylebone Cricket Club is the most active and famous cricket club in the world and owner of Lord's Cricket Ground - the Home of Cricket.
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The Lord’s ticket ballot - your best chance of securing tickets to one of the four major international matches at Lord’s in 2011 - closes today, Monday 13 December.
Applications for England’s Tests and One Day Internationals against Sri Lanka and world number one side India closes at 4pm.
No preference is made on speed of applications, so those applying now will have as good a chance of taking their seats for a major match at Lord’s as those whose names are already in the hat.
India are the blockbuster attraction at the Home of Cricket in 2011 and their imperious current form continued with a 5-0 One Day International series sweep against New Zealand.
The home side were dominant throughout the series despite the absence of stars including Sachin Tendulkar and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Flamboyant opening batsman Gautam Gambhir took over the captaincy from Dhoni and excelled, picking up the Man of the Series award.
The left-hander was in ruthless form in the second and third matches of the series, striking back-to-back unbeaten centuries.
Gambhir on fire
Gambhir led the way with 138 not out in the second match in Jaipur before cracking 126 runs from just 117 balls in Vadodara three days later.
India’s win illustrated the depth of talent, particularly in batting, which exists in the country.
Of the ODI top six in this series only Gambhir and Suresh Raina are currently involved with the Test side.
The likes of ICC World Twenty20 winner Yuvraj Singh - the man who once launched Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over - form a dynamic batting line-up in their absence.
Where Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman delight with purist strokeplay in the longer form of the game, India’s youngsters are proving just as dominant in 50 over cricket.