Lord's Pitch For England Vs New Zealand Test Rated By ICC [Source: AFP]The first Test between England and New Zealand, held at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, ended inside 4 days, but the ICC wasn't impressed with the pitch conditions, as the final verdict came out against the ECB.The Lord’s Test was not a high-scoring game, as no team managed to cross the 250-run mark in total across 4 innings. For instance, the highest team total was 226 runs, set by England in the second innings.ICC reveals verdict on Lord’s pitchAfter the game, the ICC conducted a thorough review and officially rated the pitch used for the opening ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 clash between England and New Zealand at Lord's as "unsatisfactory".As a consequence of the rating, Lord's has been handed one demerit point under the ICC's Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process. Interestingly, ICC match referee Andy Pycroft cited excessive assistance for bowlers as the primary reason behind the verdict. In his report, Pycroft noted that the surface offered substantial seam movement throughout the Test while also producing inconsistent bounce, making batting extremely difficult."There was plenty of excessive seam movement throughout the Test and the ball also kept extremely low on several occasions. The bounce was variable throughout as 16 wickets fell on the first day and 17 on the second. There was simply an over-balance in favour of ball against bat caused by the pitch," Pycroft said.Also Read - England Issue Official Statement On Jofra Archer's Test Return Vs New ZealandThe statistics backed up his concerns, with 33 wickets falling across the first two days of the match alone. Batters from both teams struggled to cope with the challenging conditions as bowlers dominated proceedings from the outset.Lord’s Cricket Ground receives a demerit pointThat being said, the "unsatisfactory" rating results in Lord's receiving one demerit point. Under ICC regulations, demerit points remain active for five years. If a venue accumulates six demerit points, it can be suspended from hosting international cricket for 12 months. A total of 12 points results in a two-year suspension.While a single point does not pose any immediate threat to Lord's status as an international venue, it serves as an official warning regarding the quality of the surface.Needless to say, this verdict is a big blow to the ECB as the reputation of the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground is at stake. A demerit point could lead to more disasters if immediate action is not taken.England trash New Zealand to take early leadHaving said that, England made the most out of the pitch conditions in the first Test. After scoring 140 runs in the first innings, Ollie Robinson’s fifer forced New Zealand to kneel down at just 113 runs.With a marginal lead in hand, England once again scored 226 runs and handed over a target of 253 runs to the visitors. Rain did play spoilsport on day 3, and the game dragged on to day 4.However, England's bowlers were breathing fire. Gus Atkinson, this time around, grabbed a five-wicket-haul to bowl out New Zealand for just 138 runs as England registered a dominant 115-run victory to take an early lead in the series.Also Read - Captaincy Curse? Shreyas Iyer Flops In 1st Innings After Being Named India Captain
