Lord’s, the home of the Marylebone Cricket Club and Middlesex, has hosted 151 Test matches since its first, England against Australia in July 1884, which England won by an innings and five runs thanks to Allan Steel’s 148. It has also staged 73 ODIs and 10 T20Is. The ground in St John’s Wood is the third that Thomas Lord laid out, and opened in 1814.
The latest Test there was England’s 194-run win over Pakistan on 27-30 August 2026. In June 2025 Lord’s also hosted the World Test Championship final, which South Africa won by five wickets against Australia.
Lord’s Test records at a glance
| Record | Holder | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Highest total | Australia 729/6d | v England, 1930 |
| Lowest total | Ireland 38 | v England, 2019 |
| Highest individual score | Graham Gooch 333 | England v India, 1990 |
| Most runs | Joe Root 2,203 | 25 Tests, average 51.23 |
| Most wickets | James Anderson 123 | 29 Tests, average 24.81 |
| Best bowling (innings) | Ian Botham 8/34 | England v Pakistan, 1978 |
| Best bowling (match) | Bob Massie 16/137 | Australia v England, 1972 |
Highest and lowest totals
Australia’s 729 for 6 declared in 1930 is still the highest Test total at Lord’s. Don Bradman made 254 and the captain Bill Woodfull 155, in reply to England’s 425, and Australia won by seven wickets. South Africa’s 682 for 6 declared in 2003, built on Graeme Smith’s 259, is the next best.
The lowest is Ireland’s 38 in 2019. Set 182 to win, they were bowled out in 15.4 overs, with Chris Woakes taking 6 for 17 and James McCollum’s 11 the only double-figure score. India’s 42 in 1974 is the second-lowest.
Most Test runs at Lord’s
Joe Root has passed Graham Gooch to become the leading Test run-scorer at Lord’s, with 2,203 runs in 25 Tests at 51.23, including eight hundreds. Gooch, who held the record for three decades, made 2,015 in 21 Tests.
| Batter | Span | Tests | Runs | Average | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | 2013-2026 | 25 | 2,203 | 51.23 | 8 |
| Graham Gooch | 1975-1994 | 21 | 2,015 | 53.02 | 6 |
| Alastair Cook | 2006-2018 | 26 | 1,937 | 43.04 | 4 |
| Andrew Strauss | 2004-2012 | 18 | 1,562 | 52.06 | 5 |
| Alec Stewart | 1990-2003 | 20 | 1,476 | 44.72 | 3 |
Highest individual scores
Graham Gooch’s 333 against India in 1990 remains the highest Test score at Lord’s. He hit 43 fours and three sixes, England made 653 for 4 declared and won by 247 runs. Next come Graeme Smith’s 259 for South Africa in 2003 and Don Bradman’s 254 in 1930.
Most Test wickets at Lord’s
James Anderson finished with 123 Test wickets at Lord’s in 29 matches, the last of them in his farewell Test against West Indies in July 2024. His long-time new-ball partner Stuart Broad is second with 113.
| Bowler | Span | Tests | Wickets | Average | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Anderson | 2003-2024 | 29 | 123 | 24.81 | 7/42 |
| Stuart Broad | 2008-2023 | 28 | 113 | 27.66 | 7/44 |
| Ian Botham | 1978-1992 | 15 | 69 | 24.53 | 8/34 |
| Fred Trueman | 1952-1965 | 12 | 63 | 22.12 | 6/31 |
| Bob Willis | 1973-1984 | 9 | 47 | 18.76 | 7/78 |
Best bowling figures
The best match figures at Lord’s belong to Australia’s Bob Massie, 16 for 137 on his Test debut in 1972: 8 for 84 in the first innings and 8 for 53 in the second. The best in an innings is Ian Botham’s 8 for 34 against Pakistan in 1978, which bowled them out for 139 and gave England an innings win. Glenn McGrath’s 8 for 38 in 1997 is the next best.
Records from ESPNcricinfo’s Statsguru, all Tests at Lord’s to 30 August 2026.
Featured photo: AFP / Gluyn Kirk