You've seen them all over the city: discs, tablets, cameos and plaques commemorating the great and the good of London Town. Friday is our new day for tracking down London plaques (Blue or otherwise) and putting them center stage on the Daily Constitutional. This week…107: The Second Lord's Cricket Ground
Where: Park Road NW8
Lord’s is the home of cricket and the permanent location of The Ashes trophy. Regardless of whether it is England or Australia that emerges victorious from The Ashes series, the original trophy, an urn with (legend has it) the ashes of English cricket which, according to The Sporting Times of 1882, “Died At The Oval on 29th August 1882” following a defeat by the touring Australians, remains (no pun intended) in London.Lord’s current location in St John’s Wood is the third location of the famous old cricket ground. Named for its founder, one Thomas Lord, the first ground was where we can now find Dorset Square.
The second location – or The Middle Ground as aficionados have it – was situated some 250 yards to the southeast of the current Lord’s. Lord's moved to make way for the Regent's Canal. The plaque is on Park Road.
The MCC is the Marylebone Cricket Club, founded at the original Lord’s in 1787. Until 1993 the MCC governed world cricket. Today it is seen as the custodian of the (often labyrinthine) rules of the game and keeper of the flame of the spirit of cricket.
Lovers of the game will have to make do with the meagre spectacle of The Olympic Games this year as the next Ashes series is not due to take place until 2013. Lord’s will host the opening match.
