Lord's creates historic world record during ENG vs NZ 1st test, becomes 1st stadium to notch this mighty feat

The 2026-27 cricket season kicked off in spectacular fashion on Thursday, June 4, as England cricket team">England cricket team">England cricket team">England cricket team">England faced New Zealand in the opening match of their three-match Test series. Held at the iconic Lord’s in London, this fixture is far from standard; it marks the historic 150th Test match to be played at the venue. With this milestone, the 'Home of Cricket' cements its legendary status by becoming the first stadium in world history to host 150 Test matches.

Lord's becomes first stadium to host 150 Test matches 

Lord’s comfortably leads the global rankings for hosting the most Test matches, leaving other historic venues well behind in its wake. Its closest competitors include Australia's Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), alongside fellow English venues Kennington Oval and Manchester’s Old Trafford. To put Lord's achievement into perspective, the MCG has hosted 118 Tests, the SCG has seen 114, The Oval stands at 108, and Old Trafford trails further back with 86 matches.

Ahead of this landmark clash between England and New Zealand, the previous 149 matches at Lord's have treated fans to decades of highly competitive cricket. The venue has a strong track record of producing definitive outcomes, with 98 of those matches ending in a decisive victory for one side, while only 51 games have concluded in a draw.

Over its storied 142-year history, the legendary ground has been a theater for incredible statistical feats from both batsmen and bowlers. Leading up to this historic 150th match, a staggering total of 143,786 runs have been scored on its hallowed turf, while bowling units have combined to claim 4,627 wickets.

Notably, former England captain and current world no.1 Test batter Joe Root anchors the hosts' batting lineup at number four in the ongoing Test, a ground where he already reigns supreme. Root tops the all-time list for the most Test runs scored at Lord’s, having amassed an incredible 2,166 runs across 42 innings in 23 matches. He leads an elite group of English cricketing legends, followed closely by Graham Gooch with 2,015 runs, Alastair Cook with 1,937 runs, Andrew Strauss with 1,562 runs, and Alec Stewart with 1,476 runs.

While English players dominate the upper echelons of the run-scoring charts, Australia’s Steven Smith holds the distinct honor of scoring the most Test runs at Lord's by a non-English batter. Smith has enjoyed a highly prolific relationship with the historic London venue, racking up 604 runs in just six Test appearances. On the bowling side of the ledger, legendary former England pacer James Anderson rules the historic ground. Over a spectacular 21-year window spanning from 2003 to 2024, Anderson wore the England whites in 29 Tests at Lord's, dismantling opposition batting lineups to claim a record-breaking 129 wickets. His long-time bowling partner Stuart Broad sits second on the legendary list with 113 scalps, followed by the iconic Ian Botham, who took 69 wickets at the venue.