The history of Lord’s or Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) goes back to the year 1787, its founding year.
In the late 1700s cricket was considered as a manly game for the privileged, and aristocrats and noblemen played the game in White Conduit Fields in London where betting would be carried out on a large scale. But with London’s rising population, the elite witnessed discomfort with the people who crowded to watch the game. So they approached a bowler with White Conduit CC, Thomas Lord, to set up a new private ground.
Following the request, Lord along with Lord Winchilsea, leased a ground on Dorset Fields in Marylebone where the club stayed between 1811 and 1813, after which Lord’s moved to a new rural ground in St John’s Wood in 1814, MCC’s present home.
Soon after, the ground became a major success and attracted crowds of players and spectators thus resonation an urgent need to build a Pavilion and refreshment stalls. Over the years, as Thomas Lord turned 70, he sold the ground to William Ward, a Bank of England director for £5000, after which Lord retired and died 7 years later.
Later, in 1889 the foundation stone was laid for a new Pavilion and the structure was made public a year later and is now a listed building and among the most renowned landmarks in sport globally.
The Board of Control for Test Matches, the Advisory County Cricket Committee and the Imperial Cricket Conference were later formed to serve the game domestically as well as in imperial and other international cricket providing a major re-organization of cricket in England.
Cricket Council was formed as the governing body of cricket wile Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) was to administer the professional game. MCC Cricket Association turned in to National Cricket Association (NCA) in order to receive financial help from the Government. However, in the 1990s the structure re-organized when England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) took the responsibility of all cricket in England from the TCCB, NCA and Cricket Council.
MCC still serves key responsibilities like ensuring Lord’s status as a world-class and world renowned ground, promoting cricket’s Laws and safeguarding its spirit, promoting the game to young people, to help increase cricket’s international appeal and maintaining its position as the world’s most active cricket-playing club.
Recent History
More recently, Lord’s was home to the ICC World T20 2009. The T20 format has been recently developed and has caught on rapidly due to its appeal and the short and attractive style of the game adopted by the cricketers. Following the phenomenal success of the 2008 installation, the tournament set in England came as a blessing for cricket lovers. Matches scheduled at the Lord’s and The Oval witnessed tremendous rush of spectators waiting to get a piece of their favorite teams and players. The final was played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in which Pakistan went on to win the coveted title of 2009.