England vs New Zealand Test pitch comes under heavy criticism

pitch at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground often referred to as the “Home of Cricket” has come under severe criticism

The pitch at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground often referred to as the “Home of Cricket” has come under severe criticism during the ongoing Test match between England and New Zealand.

After a total of 33 wickets fell in the first two days along with uneven bounce and deliveries occasionally staying unusually low former cricketers questioned the quality of the surface. Concerns have also been raised that the pitch could come under scrutiny from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

England batter Jacob Bethell was dismissed by a delivery from New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry that stayed far lower than expected prompting discussion among commentators.

A former Australian women’s cricketer remarked that there was nothing a batter could do against such a delivery and suggested that New Zealand could face similar difficulties on the pitch in the fourth innings.

Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad said that Jacob Bethell could not have done anything about the ball describing it as one that virtually rolled along the ground. Former England captain Michael Atherton added that the pitch lacked consistent bounce increasing the chances of LBW dismissals.

Atherton further stated that he did not consider it a good pitch and said that the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) would need to acknowledge that there were issues with the Lord’s square. He noted that while last year’s Test between England and India was entertaining, the pitch itself was not of a high standard.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain said that the central area of the Lord’s ground was not in good condition and efforts had been made to improve it. He pointed out that the pitch lacked pace and offered uneven bounce while seam movement was occurring even without overcast conditions.

Hussain added that given the quality of bowling on display, batting on such a surface was extremely difficult and that uneven bounce is one of the worst challenges a batter can face.

Match situation

Looking at the state of the match:

16 wickets fell on the first day and 17 wickets on the second day.
England were bowled out for 140 runs in their first innings.
In reply, New Zealand managed 113 runs trailing by 27 runs.
England then scored 226 runs in their second innings setting New Zealand a target of 254 runs to win.

At the start of the third day’s play, New Zealand were 36 for 3, still requiring 218 runs for victory. They now need 182 more runs to reach the target.