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After 33 wickets fell in two days in England’s first Test of the summer against New Zealand, Nasser Hussain believes the Lord’s wicket is “a disgrace” and “not good enough” for Test cricket.
Ben Stokes’ side set a target of 218 for victory at the end of the second day, as New Zealand bowler Nathan Smith used uneven bounce to take six for 70.
At one point in England’s second innings, the hosts lost four wickets in 11 balls with Emilio Gay, Harry Brook, Joe Root and Stokes returning to the pavilion in quick succession.
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Highlights of the second day of the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s
In the off-season, the ground staff at Lord’s tried to revive the pitch by relaying the outfield and blowing 200°C steam onto the wicket.
The steaming process was used to kill pathogens and revitalize the soil beneath the square.
However, the wicket played slow and the ball moved sideways, with England’s bowlers exploiting the bounce to send New Zealand crashing to stumps on day two, losing three wickets for 36 runs.
Crickviz The Lord’s Test inconsistency rating so far sits at 7.5 out of 10, the highest for a Test match in England.
“Good quality bowling from both teams, but on a poor pitch – and it has been for quite some time,” Hussain said. Sky Sports.
“This famous old ground is hosting its 150th Test match and will host three Tests this year.
“It’s a space that mixes old and new so well, but ultimately it’s about the 22 yards in the middle.
“Everything has been tried to improve it because the ground staff know it lacks speed, offering variable bounce and seam when there’s cloud cover. They’ve put a dome over it, they’ve tried steaming it, but nothing has made a difference.
“Throughout these Test matches, it lacked speed, and when it was fast, it started misbehaving upwards.”
In December, the MCG was given a demerit point and the ICC declared it ‘unsatisfactory’. England’s Boxing Day Test against Australia ended in two days with 36 wickets falling in 142 overs. The ICC will give their verdict at Lord’s in the week after the first Test ends.
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New Zealand, including skipper Ben Stokes, took three wickets in just five balls against England at Lord’s.
Hussain added that the quality of the pitch, coupled with the excellent fast bowling on display, made “batting impossible”.
“(There’s) absolutely no opportunity for the batters,” he said. “Lord’s has a lot going for it. The attention to detail on this ground on the perimeter is absolutely spot on.
“But the bit in the middle is the most important bit, and that’s not good enough.”
Doll: ‘ECB can take games away from Lord’s’
Bowlers from both sides took advantage of cloudy conditions and uneven bounce at Lord’s
Former bowler of New Zealand Sky Sports Cricket analyst Simon Doll echoed Hussain’s comments, urging the ECB and MCC to replace the aging wickets.
He believes that the ECB may also withdraw matches from Lord’s if the pitch does not improve.
“The time comes when you ask: ‘What is the ECB going to do about Lord’s pitch?’ Dull said Sky Sports Cricket.
Ben Stokes reacts after bowling on the second day of the first Test
“I think the ECB needs to get together with the MCC and say: ‘I’m sorry, but we’re going to take the games away from you, because the pitch is not up to standard’.
“Until the ECB decides that they will take the games away from Lord’s, it will not force the MCC’s hand to spend money and rebuild the pitch.”
Doll sympathized with the ground staff, who are evaluating all options to ensure the pitch remains adequate for both batsmen and bowlers.
“The outfield looks great and I feel for the ground staff. They are working with a tired old pitch block, which is not suitable for what they want to do.
“They’re very good at what they do. They know what they have to do. But they’re working with a very poor surface and everything underneath it is gone.
“It’s dead, it’s old and it needs to be replaced.”
Broad: ‘The pitch entertained’
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Nathan Smith took six wickets against England in a brilliant performance on the second day of the first Test at Lord’s.
While Stuart Broad agreed modern pitches needed to be better for the batsmen, the former England fast bowler defended the pitch at Lord’s, explaining that it had made for an entertaining match so far.
“I think on a Test match surface and the kind of bowling you get in Test match cricket, you don’t need as much sideways movement because the bowlers can move,” Broad said. Sky Sports Cricket.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the pitch. I was on the tube last night with people who watched cricket. All the conversation was about how much they enjoyed the day. The roar of the wicket, the crowd and the unpredictability.
“Whatever the surface says, in the end, if the day is entertaining, it’s a positive one. Today, again, it’s been an impressive day!”
He added: “I’m certainly not saying these pitches are great for Test match cricket; they need to be better batting surfaces.
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England pacer Gus Atkinson took the first wicket in the last innings at Lord’s before New Zealand managed to get a run on the board.
“From what we saw in Australia during the Ashes, I thought Sydney was a bright and attractive pitch. I think the batsmen should be able to score centuries and the bowlers should work to get wickets.
“But that didn’t take away from the entertainment.”
Watch the third day of the first Test between England and New Zealand live Sky Sports Cricket And main event Saturday from 10.15am. Didn’t get the sky? Get Sky Sports or Stream with NOW.
