Lord's Relays Pitch 9 After Its First ICC Demerit Point

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Lord's has relaid Pitch 9 after the ICC issued the ground's first demerit point for an unsatisfactory Test surface. The strip will sit out the next two or three seasons.

Lord's has always carried a certain weight. The Long Room, the slope, the history. So when the ICC hands the ground its first-ever demerit point, people notice. That's exactly what happened after the first Test of the English summer, and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has responded by ripping up and rebuilding Pitch 9. The strip won't return to international duty for two or three seasons. That's a big deal for a venue that prides itself on getting the basics right. ### Why the ICC Marked the Lord's Pitch Unsatisfactory Match referee Andy Pycroft filed the rating after England beat New Zealand in early June. His report pointed to excessive seam movement and inconsistent bounce on a surface that coughed up 40 wickets in just 166 overs. That's a lot of wickets in a hurry. Bowlers either bowled or trapped LBW 24 of those batters, and a handful of deliveries stayed low, including the ball that removed Jacob Bethell on day two. Pitch 9 is one of five central strips used for internationals at Lord's. Before this match, the ground had never picked up a demerit point. First time for everything, apparently. ### The MCC's Seven-Point Plan and a Wider Review MCC chair Mark Nicholas didn't wait around. He drew up a seven-point action plan right after the match. Rob Lynch, the club's director of cricket and operations, and the ground staff have since brought in outside experts and commissioned data analysis as part of a broader review of the square and how pitches get prepared. Rebuilding Pitch 9 kicked off earlier this month. Nicholas emailed members on Wednesday, saying the project would "ensure that the club prepares pitches worthy of the ground's reputation." He also warned members to brace for scheduling headaches over the next few years. Here's what's on the table: - A longer lead-in period before major events like Ashes Tests, giving ground staff more time to work on surfaces - Moving some smaller recreational fixtures to Sir Paul Getty's Ground at Wormsley, which MCC plans to use as a partner venue after a pilot program this summer - No confirmed details yet, so treat these as direction of travel rather than done deals ### Hybrid and Drop-In Pitches Enter the Long Game MCC isn't just patching a hole. It's rethinking the whole approach. The club plans to use both hybrid pitches and permanent drop-in pitches going forward. A third hybrid strip, made of 95% natural turf and 5% synthetic fiber, will go in this spring. Nicholas said smarter use of these surfaces should ease the pressure created by losing Pitch 9. There's a catch, though. The ICC doesn't currently allow hybrid pitches in Test matches. Limited-overs internationals can use them if both teams and the ICC agree, and they're already common in English domestic cricket. Hybrid surfaces are thought to play more consistently than standard turf and recover faster between matches. The club is also producing its first three drop-in trays. The first will move to the main square in 2028 after a spell on the nursery ground. Unlike the seasonal drop-ins used at multi-purpose grounds in Australia, MCC will keep these in place long term. > "The club prepares pitches worthy of the ground's reputation." — Mark Nicholas, MCC chair ### What's Next at Lord's Lord's stages two men's Tests a year under an agreement that runs until 2031. Next summer brings England against Bangladesh from May 28 to June 1, then England against Australia from June 30 to July 4. The ICC has picked The Oval, not Lord's, for the 2027 World Test Championship final. The other two Tests at Lord's this season — England women against India and England men against Pakistan — earned satisfactory ratings for their pitches. The four limited-overs internationals, which included three women's T20 World Cup matchdays and an England men's ODI against India, got very good ratings. So the problem is narrow, not systemic. Still, the MCC is treating it like a warning shot. Rebuilding a pitch is one thing. Rebuilding confidence in the square takes longer, and the club knows it.

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