Top 7 reasons that make Lord's The Home of Cricket

The iconic Lord's Cricket Ground has a rich culture and heritage. Majority of the players and fans would choose Lord's as their favourite ground to play or watch cricket over their home ground. Every cricket fan's bucket list includes watching a test match at Lord's stadium.

The 200+ years old stadium never ceases to amaze the fans and players with its beauty. So, what makes it stand out from the rest of the stadiums in the world? Let's take a look at the things that make Lord's, the so-called, "Home of Cricket".

From delicious meals to geographical gradients, the ground boasts a lot of rich traditions that a cricket fan can feast on. It has as many as nine stands which can accommodate 28,000 people. The stadium has hosted 137 test matches in all - 135 of which involved England. In the remaining two matches, Australia played against teams from South Africa and the West Indies. This legendary stadium was also the venue of the 2000th test match that was played between England and India from July 21 to 25 in 2011.

Here are the top 7 reasons that make Lord's one of the most special cricket grounds:

1) The Honours Board

Getting their names printed on the honours board of any cricket stadium is a dream come true for any cricketer. It gets even more special if he/she manages to get their name in the Lord's honours board. The special honour is given to the cricketers who score a century or take 5 or more wickets in an innings. There are a total of 3 honours boards at Lord's. One for home players, second for away players and the third is used when Lord's is played as a neutral venue. There are only a few cricketers who have got their names in both batting and bowling honours boards. It has to be noted that the honours board has eluded some big names like Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting & Ambrose.

2) The Balcony

Lord's balcony

Ganguly's shirt wave? Kapil Dev lifting the World Cup? The English team with the Ashes trophy? There are far too many pictures that are etched in memory when one thinks of the Lord's Balcony. Teammates and support staff shouting out from the Lord's Balcony whenever their player reaches a milestone is a scene to be cherished. Only the MCC members are allowed inside the balcony, who need to follow a proper dress code including an appropriate tie and pair of shoes for both male and female members and guests.

3) Scorecard for Sale

Scorecard of the 2009 Ashes at Lord's

The scorecard of the match you just witnessed at the home of cricket is a great souvenir to take home. The iconic stadium starts the sale of printed scorecards just about 10 minutes after the match ends. It costs only 1 pound and the fans can get as many copies as they want. This tradition has been carried on for more than four decades and the fans stand in the queue patiently for their copies.

4) The Media Centre

Lord's Media Centre is a heavenly place to report cricket from. It is one of the most sophisticated press boxes around the world. The construction price of the media centre is approximately 5 million pounds. Widely called as "The Media Centre", it is also named as "JP Morgan Media Centre". It is also to be noted that SCA stadium at Rajkot has established a similar media centre.

5) The Slope

The significance of the slope

"Slope" is probably the most used word by commentators whenever the Lord's cricket ground hosts a Test Match. The stadium is actually tilted on one side a little bit which makes a lot of significance. The slope is from north end of the ground to the south end of the ground. The difference in depth is 2.5 metres. The outfield is pretty quick on one side of the ground as the ball runs down the slope and the bowlers will get some natural movement off the turf. Also, it will account to some variable bounce which results in the bowler's favour.

6) The Long Room

The players walk down from the balcony to the ground through this Long Room. Described as "the most evocative four walls in world cricket", it has paintings of some great cricketers through different centuries. The MCC members and their guests are the only people who can enter this room. When players walk down the long room to take the field, fans stand up and applaud the players as a symbol of respect.

7) The MCC Museum and Library

The MCC museum is one of the oldest sports museums around the world. It has a rich collection of cricket memorabilia. From the Ashes Urn to the cricket kits used by famous players, it has everything that a cricket fan will drool for. It also has the Brian Johnston Memorial Theatre, in which historical cricket videos are screened. The MCC library has a large collection of publications that are related to cricket.