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Lord’s, the house of cricket, is a hallowed venue and known for its quirky topography which adds a singular challenge for the batters and bowlers.
Lord’s will host the third Test of the continued India vs England series. (AFP Photo)
Lord’s Cricket Ground, considered one of cricket’s most iconic and celebrated venues, is a dream for any cricketer to play at and because of its topography, presents the participants with a singular challenge – the infamous Lord’s slope.
For somebody used to playing on flattened grounds and who has never had a bowl or bat at Lord’s before, it may be a tough and a bit unsettling affair to get adjusted to this “idiosyncrasy” of the venue.
What’s Lord’s Slope?
Because the name suggests, it’s a gradient which starts from the Pavilion end and runs all of the strategy to the Nursery End. The eight-foot two-inch incline, which runs diagonally, is visible from the front (within the direction of the pitch) and will not appear as distinguishable when viewed from sideways.
So What’s The Big Deal With Lord’s Slope?
It’s an enormous deal. For bowlers, in the event that they are running in from the Nursey End, the slope takes the ball away from a right-handed batter and into the left-hander. Alternatively, when bowling from the Pavilion End, the slope takes the ball into the right-hander and away from the left-hander.
For batters, they need to make adjustment to make sure their head isn’t falling over down the hill.
“A delivery that appears to be going straight tends to shape away after pitching; and the other happens from the opposite end. So, you’re either playing outside the road or inside to compensate for the movement off the pitch brought on by the slope. Because of this, if the ball manages to carry its line after pitching, it seems like it has done rather a lot. But replays often show that it didn’t really do this much in any case,” explains Aakash Chopra in a column for ESPNcricinfo.
So It Advantages The Bowlers?
To an extent but it surely’s also a challenge for the bowlers to get used to the slope. They need to hold their motion till the last second to make sure head and arms don’t fall away. Failing to accomplish that will lead to them missing the mark.
Why Is There A Slope To Begin With?
Time for a fast history lesson. The bottom was built over two centuries ago – in 1814. It’s on a land in John’s Wood, London. The piece of land, originally a duck pond, on which it was construct has a natural slope. The owner, Thomas Lord’s, kept the slope.
There have been discussions prior to now to level the surface, but history, tradition and the long process required for the rebuild have thwarted the attempts.
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and every thing that’s cricket from all around the globe. Follow @cricketnext
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and every thing that’s cricket from all around the globe. Follow @cricketnext
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