Lord’s Slope Explained: How 2.5 metres shape matches at the Home of Cricket

Lord’s Slope Explained: How 2.5 metres shape matches at the Home of Cricket (X/HomeOfCricket)

Lord's is regarded as the most iconic cricket stadium in the world. Although the stadium has hosted some of the most memorable cricketing affairs, the 'slope' in the middle of the stadium has also generated quite a buzz, leading to discussion among experts and fans. As India are engaged in the third Test against England, we try to understand the slope at the venue, which are highly uncommon in cricket fields.

The 'slope' is still a crucial component of the cricketing environment that the Lord's provides, making it challenging for both bowlers and batters.

In reality, the 'slope' is a diagonal gradient that runs from the north-west (Pavilion End) to the south-east (Nursery End) across the playing field. The drop is roughly 2.5 meters (8 feet 2 inches).

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The slope exists because of the natural topography of St. John's Wood, where the ground was constructed in 1814. Despite previous discussions on neutralizing the slope, the authorities decided against making any changes due to the logistical difficulties of leveling it.

Middlesex mainstay and former England bowler Angus Fraser, who participated in 96 first-class games at Lord's, described the special qualities of the field's slope. "It's pretty obvious that if you were building a cricket ground from scratch, you wouldn't have a slope like this," Fraser told The Athletic. "But it's something that's there because it's been the nature of that piece of land for thousands of years. It flows down from Hampstead Heath (the city's highest point at 139m/456ft above sea level) into central London and eventually ends up in the River Thames.

"It's pretty unique. Grounds in most other countries are newer and pretty flat, but there are similar things on other English cricket grounds. You run down a hill from the Kirkstall Lane End at Headingley (in Leeds), and there's a bit of a slope downhill at (Nottingham's) Trent Bridge, but I can't think of a slope like Lord's across the ground."

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The experience is 'downhill' for bowlers bowling from the Pavilion End. Additionally, the slope aids bowlers in taking the ball away from left-handers and bringing it into right-handed batters. As a result, many more LBW dismissals are expected. During his playing days, Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath had a reputation for making use of this surface feature.

Bowling from the Nursery End at Lord’s feels like running uphill. From this end, the natural slope helps the ball move away from right-handers and into left-handers. Bowlers with an angled run-up — like Jasprit Bumrah — often favour this end to exploit that movement.

Batters, too, make technical adjustments to counter the subtle variations caused by the slope.