Lord's moves to stage Twenty20 cricket ... again

After being thwarted in their attempts to stage Twenty20 matches at Lord's last summer, the MCC has launched another bid to convince the local council that music and early-evening games in north-west London wouldn't be the end of civilisation as we know it.

Last summer Westminster City Council turned down permission for an entertainment licence following complaints from local residents that three evening matches, floodlights, and, heaven forbid, a concert by Atomic Kitten, would be too much to cope with.

In recent months representatives of the MCC have met with local residents to try and allay their fears, and now a scaled-down proposal has been submitted. The aim is for one match - the London derby between Middlesex and Surrey - to be staged on June 15.

"We are very keen to play Twenty20 cricket at Lord's," said Iain Wilton, the MCC's head of communications. "This year's proposal has the support of the Local to Lord's group and is different from last year. It's one match, no floodlights or pop concert, and the event will be over by 8.15pm." But Wilton added that "amplified musical jingles at key moments of play" are still planned.

Whether such a threat to the calm of St John's Wood should be allowed is in the hands of the council.