What a great place Lords is!

I’ve blogged previously on how I dislike corporatism at Twickenham and to a less extent Wembley, the oh so obvious financial agenda of the RFU and FA getting in the way of the proper appreciation of the sporting occasion.

No such criticism of the TCCB at Lords. On my last visit, I wrote about the sun coming out on the England Bangladesh match last year. The experience of walking the hallowed turf with kids and grandparents from so many backgrounds provides me with the happiest of memories. Yesterday I , and a full house, watched in the sunshine as England and Sri Lank played out the first day of the second test.

Since last month I’ve been receiving regular messages on my phone from the Lords PR office either by SMS or text, fun and informative Lords seems to have grasped the new technologies and to be using them with the same aplomb as id does everything else.

This is one sporting institution that is really on top of its game. Members of staff seem proud to be working there, the place is immaculate, the tannoy works, if there is advertising it does not intrude into your line of sight when watching the game. There is a responsible attitude to alcohol, you can bring in two pints of beer or a bottle of wine. Nobody I as Morgan, Prior and Broad took over in the final session, a well-oiled crowd in the Compton stand did our bit to maintain their cherished tradition.

If England make it to the number one slot in test cricket, the barmy army won’t seem quite as barmy after all. On the evidence of what I saw yesterday, both in terms of how and where we play our cricket, we’ve got a lot to be proud of right now!

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