2014 marks the 200 anniversary of which sports venue?

Question

2014 marks the 200 anniversary of which sports venue?

3 Answers

Answer Question

Answer 1

2014 marks the 200 anniversary of the Lord's Cricket Ground.

The Lord's Cricket Ground, generally known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St. John's Wood, London. Lord's is widely referred to as the "home of cricket".

To mark the 200 anniversary, on July 5, a Marylebone Cricket Club XI captained by Sachin Tendulkar played a Rest of the World XI led by Shane Warne in a 50 overs match.

Answer 2

Lord's Cricket Ground, in London, has been celebrating its 200th Anniversary this year, in 2014.

The grounds, which hold an impressive 28,000 people in capacity, are actually no longer where original founder Thomas Lord built his venue to begin with.

In 1787, Lord built his first cricket venue, now referred to as the Lord's Old Ground, where Dorset Square now stands in Marylebone. A few decades later, he relocated to a place near Lisson Grove, now referred to as the Lord's Middle Ground.

When the land was then acquired to be used for the Regent's Canal, an incredibly necessary development for London as a capital city, Lord decided to relocate once more to St. John's Wood, and he did so in 1814, which is why the current Lord's Cricket Ground is celebrating its 200th Anniversary this year.

Over the summer, the grounds played host to a Bicentennial Celebration Match, played between the Marylebone Cricket Club and the Rest Of The World. Having announced his retirement from cricket last year, Sachin Tendulkar returned to captain the MCC for the special occasion, and Lord's uploaded a great video of his entry onto the pitch.

Answer 3

This year was a special year for cricket fans as it was the 200th anniversary of Lord’s cricket ground. For those who love cricket - and millions do - Lord’s is THE place. The Home of Cricket.

Why is it so special? It’s all to do with the history of cricket and the ‘Laws of the Game’ and of course, there are few sports grounds that can boast continuous use for 200 years!

It all started with a man called Thomas Lord, a cricketer, wine merchant and canny Yorkshireman who saw a business opportunity while he was working as a groundsman and practice bowler at the White Conduit Club. This was an elite private members’ club in Islington for aristocrats and noblemen, and they wanted to get away from the increasingly large crowds of ‘common people’ who came to watch them play!

Lord came up with a new venue at Dorset Fields in Marylebone. This was a far better situation, easier to reach and very private. On the 31st May 1787 Lord staged his first match, Middlesex v Essex, and the new Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) was formed. (Lord, the wine merchant, made the entrance to the ground his shop! I said he was a shrewd business man!)

The Dorset field ground was very popular and got busier and busier as London was growing rapidly. However the rent was also becoming more expensive. In 1809 Lord found a new, cheaper ground on the Eyre Estate in st John’s Wood. It wasn’t a good move however - it had no atmosphere and more importantly - no tavern on site!

But Lord wasn’t only shrewd - he was lucky too. He found out that a canal was scheduled to be built right through his cricket ground, and, with the money he got in compensation (£4000) he purchased another plot in St John’s Wood. On the 22 June 1814 the first cricket match was played at what is Lord’s as we know it today.

The Pavilion at Lord's

Cricket and the MCC does have a reputation for being rather staid, traditional and resistant to change but Lord’s has moved with the times. The Pavilion built in 1889, is the most famous Victorian addition. It was refurbished in 2005.

Most of the work at Lord’s was done in the late 20th Century with the Mound Stand in 1987, and the Media Centre built in 1999. The MCC have big plans for the next 10 years - changing Lord’s into a ground (not a stadium!) fit for the 21st Century. I wonder if it will still be there in 2114? Wouldn’t it be great it it was?

You can watch a 2 minute video of the History of Lord's below.