Cricket has finally come home

LONDON, June 24 (Agencies): Cricket has finally come 'home' in the 2019 World Cup. This has been the buzzword among the fans on social media as the historic Lord's hosted its first game, the 30th of the competition - the contest between Pakistan and South Africa on Sunday.

The iconic stadium, which was packed to the capacity with a majority of Pakistan fans and quite a few from South Africa too, was the home of the game's ruling body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), before it moved its head office to Dubai a few years back.

Known as the Mecca of cricket, Lord's has hosted four World Cup finals - three on the trot from 1975 to 1983, then in 1999. So what took the ICC so long to stage a game at the traditional 'home' of cricket?

"We didn't want to keep Lord's occupied for six weeks, because the English Cricket Board (ECB) also needs it to host its county games. There are branding issues also. When the ICC takes over a venue for the World Cup, we have to put all the billboards/display signs in the stadium accordingly," an ICC spokesperson told the new agency on Sunday.

While Pakistan are scheduled to play two games here, India, unfortunately, won't be playing a single game at this hallowed venue in this World Cup, unless they reach the final.

Over the years, the boundaries here due to sponsor commitments and the rule for a minimum gap between the pickets and the boundary ropes, have been pulled inside. But some things remain the same at Lord's. To watch a game at the Members' Pavilion, one has to be formally dressed (tie included) and near the Pavilion End boundary, there's a mound on which the ball slows down. The famous Lord's bell was not rung on Sunday as it was not done in an ICC event.

Lord's is the home of cricket and is one of the two famous cricket grounds in London. It hosted its first ODI in August 1972 when England clashed with Australia.

It has a capacity of 28000 and is scheduled to host a total of 5 matches in the ICC World Cup 2019 including the final.

The venue has witnessed eight 300-plus scores with the highest team total being England's 334 for 4 against India in the 1975 World Cup.

Vivian Richard's famous unbeaten 138 off 157 deliveries in the 1979 World Cup final against England is the highest individual score at Lord's.

There have been 9 five-wicket hauls at Lord's with Daniel Vettori's 5-30 in 9.2 overs against West Indies in the NatWest Series Final in 2004 the best bowling figures at the venue.