Resplendent in red in the memory of Ruth Strauss, the rain relented on Friday to leave Lord’s looking a picture. A phased redevelopment of this ground is well underway, the Allen and Tavern Stands being brought up to standard to provide more modern touches alongside the grand old pavilion facade. The outfield has been relaid, preserving the famous drainage and familiar slope that provides an idiosyncratic challenge for each and every visitor.
It is, then, a shame the most important 22 yards in this grand old sporting cathedral has fallen short of those standards in this first Test of the English summer. Across the opening two days, this tawny strip of turf has caused all manner of problems for even batters of the highest quality, peril and potholes at every turn like a country lane. A rain-curtailed day one brought 16 wickets; day two 17 more as this game hastens towards a conclusion. A second strike for Gus Atkinson from Friday’s final ball left New Zealand three down and 218 behind – even Edmund Hillary may have struggled to climb this mountain.
