The Hundred: Rowdy fans see Lord’s authorities ditch BYOB policy
Lord’s isn’t just the home of cricket – it is also cricket’s most liberal venue when it comes to bringing in your own drinks.
Test matches at Lord’s are famous for picnics and the sound of champagne corks popping just after the clock strikes midday.
That policy – allowing fans to bring in a small quantity of wine or beer – had been extended to the new Hundred tournament by Lord’s authority the Marylebone Cricket Club, but no longer.
Boozy scenes at a game last week between the “London Spirit” and “Trent Rockets” have seen the ground authorities pull the privilege for the remainder of the tournament.
The Hundred is intended, according to corporate sponsors and the English Cricket Board, to bring in a new, family-oriented audience.
“The Hundred is a tournament designed for families and children,” the MCC said.
“We have reviewed all of our measures for our remaining Hundred matches, to ensure Lord’s is inclusive and is a place where families and children of all ages feel welcome and safe. These include not allowing the importation of alcohol into the ground, limiting alcoholic beverage sales and closing the bars ealier,” the MCC said.
The more liberal policy will remain in place for those fixtures at the ground which retain the use of outdated concepts such as six-ball overs, including the test match between England and India.