Lords

Be the first to reach the grounds/venues of the ICC T20 World Cup. Read, to have a firsthand view of all the all grounds/venues that are being used during the World T20 2009.

Lord's, referred to as the 'Mecca of cricket' is widely regarded and considered the 'official' home of cricket. Lord's has seen many a battle unfold and many a battle won and lost. The seeds of cricket were sown in and around the current Lord's cricket ground. The current Lord's is the third of three grounds that Thomas Lords built between 1787 and 1814. Lords hosts the MCC and the world's oldest sports museum - The MCC cricket museum. Until 2005, the ICC headquarters was also located at Lords.

Having witnessed some of crickets greatest moments; it's fitting and appropriate that Lords conducts the final of the ICC World T20 championship, 2009 edition. Cricket's baby will have the pedigree of Clive Lloyd lifting the first ever world cup and that of Kapil Dev, running backwards to take that stunning catch: IVA Richards c Kapil Dev b Madan Lal 33. And who can forget the hairy chest of Saurav Ganguly.

Lords always hosts the first test match of the English season. And the match is often the most sought after event of the international Calendar. Over the years, Lords has seen many additions and deletions to the basic infrastructure. Some of the salient features of the ground include:

Media Centre
The media centre, which was commissioned for the 1999 World Cup, is one of the most breathtaking sights of any cricket ground. It was the first all aluminum, semi-monocoque building in the world. Besides providing accommodation to over 100 journalists, the centre also holds the radio and television commentary boxes. The height of the centre is 15 yards and it is supported by a small structure located around its two lift shafts.

Field
The Lords playing area is characterised by its slop. The north-west side of the playing area is 8 feet higher than the south-east side. While this may not be ideal for a cricket ground, it does provide a unique dimension and adds to the mystic called Lords.

Stands The Lords seating area is divided into the following stands:
The Pavilion,
Warner Stand,
Grandstand,
Compton Stand,
Media Centre,
Edrich Stand,
Mound Stand,
Tavern Stand and
Allen Stand.

Grace Gates
This is a pair of gates enacted in honour of the great WG Grace. The gates were designed by Sir Herbert Baker and the opening ceremony was performed by Sir Stanley Jackson.

If you like your history; don't worry, you will find plenty of pieces at Lords.