Battle of English grounds to win Test status

[DPRA]

Lords are having 200M of work done on the ground:

The MCC are hoping that plans for a £200m redevelopment of Lord's will help secure its two Test matches each year.

Plans include increasing capacity to 38,500, installing retractable floodlights and building a new academy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7266679.stm

And so Are the mighty Lancashire:

The County Suite, Tyldesley Suite and the front of the ladies stand, from the Pavilion to the media centre, will be replaced with a 1,000-seater function room, which can be split into three. It will double up as a hospitality suite for England Test matches.

Lancashire County Cricket Club have today confirmed that Oxford-based company, “White Horse Contractors”, have been awarded the contract to install a new state-of-the art drainage system and outfield at Old Trafford this summer.

“This sends a clear signal not only to the ECB, but also to the North West Sporting public, that Old Trafford is serious about staging International Cricket on this site for many years to come”, added Cumbes.

http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=1834 AND http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=1827

So my question is surely Cricket is not going to turn into football where each county wants to build the biggest ground possible to win Test status?

I hope not.

 

[Sureshot]

Why not? It's where the most money is to be made from. The counties have to look at the international scene. Anyway, Lords and Old Trafford are international grounds already, they are simply making them better. You won't see Sussex, Kent and Somerset turning their grounds into multi-tiered stadia.

 

[vaibhav mehta]

Good point bro.Ya and if you forget about Money then also Lords is a historical ground.You always feel special when you playing or watching Match from Lords.I never thought Lords need repair.But I like to see Lords being more bigger and Beautiful.
Lords is something special when its about Cricket..So Nothing wrong..Cricket is all about money.

 

[Sureshot]

The MCC will be making big changes, but what makes Lords, Lords, is staying.

 

[vaibhav mehta]

oopsss.I was in hurry.I misunderstood it.Sorry..

 

[RoboRocks]

I don't see why Lords should be in doubt for tests to be honest. I mean its Lords, the home of cricket. Enough said.

Anyway it good to see grounds building around the country. Sophia Gardens has made massive changes for the 2009 Ashes test match and I think Chester Le Street has made changes after being a test ground so they are all fighting to be apart of tests in the English summer.

 

[smssia0112]

Considering the fact that the Lord's expansion is to get it to a figure that is still larger than only one of Australia's major grounds (The WACA in Perth), I think that England definitely needs to start expanding its grounds. Sizes are pretty small for most of them.

 

[DPRA]

Considering the fact that the Lord's expansion is to get it to a figure that is still larger than only one of Australia's major grounds (The WACA in Perth), I think that England definitely needs to start expanding its grounds. Sizes are pretty small for most of them.

But in Aus, you have enough room to expand your county ground, over here we can't. For Example, there is no way that Lancashire can expand as it has a train station at the back and side, along with the training nets and a cricket centre, and at the front is a road with a police station on. Thats the problem with ground's over here, we simply don't have enough room to expand into.

 

[Kev]

if you forget about Money then also Lords is a historical ground.

Most of the stands aren't that old though. Yes the pavilion is iconic but the rest hasn't been around all that long really.

I don't think Lord's will ever be in danger of losing tests. It currently enjoys 2 tests a summer and to be honest I don't see that changing. Everyone wants to play there, sponsors want to take their clients there, people want to watch from there. Doesn't really matter what they do to other grounds, that wont change. Most of the County headquarter grounds are undergoing some sort of development at the moment (or planning one). Some are going for Test's but for most counties going for tests is pretty unrealistic. There are already more grounds fighting for tests than there are tests available (even if Lord's were to lose a test, which it wont!).

From memory, along with the 2 developments mentioned here, Glamorgan are putting the finishing touches to what used to be known as Sophia Gardens (Now horrifically known as the Swalec Stadium). Gloucestershire has ambitions of Test status, Sussex are going to build a new stand/complex at the Sea end, Somerset are expanding their ground into a graveyard! Kent are just starting to refurbish the ground and are going to build a Hotel and some houses to pay for it, Essex have expansion plans I believe. Surrey have just had plans to knock down the pavilion and replace it along with a hotel turned down by the local authority (They are bound to resubmit revised plans) and Worcestershire are going expand their ground (Perhaps by building a massive moat around it ) I'm fairly sure there are more plans in action but I can't recall anymore off the top of my head

 

[DPRA]

Most of the stands aren't that old though. Yes the pavilion is iconic but the rest hasn't been around all that long really.

I don't think Lord's will ever be in danger of losing tests. It currently enjoys 2 tests a summer and to be honest I don't see that changing. Everyone wants to play there, sponsors want to take their clients there, people want to watch from there. Doesn't really matter what they do to other grounds, that wont change. Most of the County headquarter grounds are undergoing some sort of development at the moment (or planning one). Some are going for Test's but for most counties going for tests is pretty unrealistic. There are already more grounds fighting for tests than there are tests available (even if Lord's were to lose a test, which it wont!).

From memory, along with the 2 developments mentioned here, Glamorgan are putting the finishing touches to what used to be known as Sophia Gardens (Now horrifically known as the Swalec Stadium). Gloucestershire has ambitions of Test status, Sussex are going to build a new stand/complex at the Sea end, Somerset are expanding their ground into a graveyard! Kent are just starting to refurbish the ground and are going to build a Hotel and some houses to pay for it, Essex have expansion plans I believe. Surrey have just had plans to knock down the pavilion and replace it along with a hotel turned down by the local authority (They are bound to resubmit revised plans) and Worcestershire are going expand their ground (Perhaps by building a massive moat around it ) I'm fairly sure there are more plans in action but I can't recall anymore off the top of my head

Yes, I agree with your there. The only main thing about Lords is its Pavillion, however I think with the redevelopment, they are hoping to make all the rest of the ground like the pavillion - Iconic.

 

[Skater]

Lord's is definitely the most unique ground I have been to. There is the gardens around the field, the real tennis courts, the oldest sporting museum in the world and the media centre. It's a lot more than just the pavilion.

 

[DPRA]

Lord's is definitely the most unique ground I have been to. There is the gardens around the field, the real tennis courts, the oldest sporting museum in the world and the media centre. It's a lot more than just the pavilion.

Thats what swings it for lords I think. If it was just the pavilion that is unique then maybe it might not have got test status?