The Curse of Lord's (22 July 1999)

22 July 1999

The Curse of Lord's

By John Houlihan

So the curse of Lord's has struck again and after a comparatively untroubled time during the morning session, England have once again fallen victim to a phenomenon which has troubled them most sorely in recent years. Before the second Test began, England and especially skipper Nasser Hussain were very keen to play down this alleged hex, saying that it was something which certainly didn't bother the players and it was one ghost in particular that they would be only too happy to finally lay to rest.

Taking a look at the overall record, history would seem to suggest that England certainly have a case in dismissing this curse as a mere statistical anomaly. Of the 96 Test matches played at the ground, England have won 34, lost 23 and drawn 39, which means they've remained unbeaten nearly 70% of the time at the home of cricket. However looking at more recent events, the home side have managed to win just four out of 22 Tests, a success rate of less than 25% and the last time they managed to achieve victory was against the West Indies way back in 1995.

So in modern times it's fair to say that England have suffered a torrid time on this historic ground.

Like a particularly bizarre episode of the X-files, amateur conspiracy theorists offer many weird and unusual explanations for this phenomenon, but possibly the most convincing is the theory that touring teams simply relish the opportunity to beard England in their own back yard and so raise their own game accordingly. Cricket, especially at the highest levels, is a game which is often played in the mind and for touring players, nothing can compare with the possibility of making a big century or taking a ten wicket haul at the home of cricket and so there certainly seems to be plenty of mileage in this particular hypothesis.

Another factor which should be given serious consideration are the prevailing conditions at the ground. The famous Lord's slope can certainly play a major role out in the middle and once visiting fast bowlers learn to exploit its vagaries, they can use it to considerable advantage. The world's great fast bowlers have always enjoyed a healthy return at Lord's during recent times and Australian paceman Glenn McGrath lists it as one of his favourite venues. Why English bowlers don't achieve similar results on a surface which they often frequent during a long county season remains an utter mystery.

Another factor which is often cited is the unusual lack of atmosphere at the ground. While other sides enjoy unrivalled partisan support on their home turf, the rather restrained, sedate atmosphere at Lord's where the MCC still rule and polite applause rather than unbridled enthusiasm remains the order of the day, means that many argue England simply don't enjoy the same levels of support and encouragement that they would receive at any other Test match arena or even during an overseas tour.

Still England's poor record at Lord's in recent times remains something of a conundrum and could be due to any single one of these factors or perhaps a combination of all three. Still whatever the real reasons for England's lamentable showing, perhaps it might be time to entertain the radical suggestion that Lord's should be simply be removed from the list and the fixture moved to a ground where England have historically enjoyed better fortunes. Surely that would be unthinkable, but until England can exorcise the demons that continue to haunt them at Lord's, it's a revolutionary solution which may continue to gain credence.