Fortress Lord's prepares for the storm

The start of the international summer at Lord's on Thursday will be against the backdrop of unseasonally cold and wet weather and, more worryingly for those running the game, potentially major demonstrations by those opposed to the regime of Robert Mugabe. According to a report in today's Independent newspaper, anti-Mugabe protestors have promised "chaos and mayhem" following MCC's decision not to allow any protests inside the ground.

A meeting of the executive board of MCC on Tuesday decided to prohibit any official demonstration inside Lord's, despite assurances from Peter Tatchell, the organiser of the Stop The Tour campaign, that plans to disrupt the match would be called off if a peaceful protest was allowed. So the stunts will go ahead.

The security at Lord's will be on a level not seen since the anti-apartheid protests in 1970, but Tatchell has said that some of his group have tickets for the game and would stage their demonstrations both inside and outside the ground.

"MCC must bear full responsibility for any chaos and mayhem," Tatchell said. "I'm rather surprised because if MCC is serious about preventing disruption it would have reached an agreement with us."

Aside from Tatchell's group, up to four other Zimbabwean groups are expected to travel to Lord's, although they have all promised that their protests will be peaceful and largely limited to demonstrations outside the Grace Gates. They will be joined by several MPs. Spectators will be asked to don black armbands, symbolic of the stand taken by Andy Flower and Henry Olonga during the World Cup.