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Lord’s prices for England Tests surge despite ticket sale struggles

tim wigmore
·2-min read
A view of empty seats during day four of the second Rothesay Men's Test match at Lord's, London
The final day of the Sri Lanka Test match at Lord’s was blighted by a low attendance - PA/Ben Whitley

Marylebone Cricket Club has confirmed a surge in ticket prices for next year’s England Test against India, despite criticism about the cost of them this summer.

For the first three days of the Test against India, which begins on July 10, the cheapest adult tickets are £90, which come with a restricted view. Tickets without a restricted view are priced between £120-£175. For under-16s, restricted view tickets cost £20 and tickets with a full view are £40-£50.

The price rises follow disappointing ticket sales for last month’s Test against Sri Lanka. Just 9,000 fans attended the fourth day of the second Test at Lord’s, even though it was on a Sunday and saw almost a full day’s play. Thousands of tickets were priced £115-£140 for adults and £15-£40 for concessions.

Fans during day four of the second Rothesay Men's Test match at Lord's, London
MCC refused to lower prices despite the threat of empty seats on day four against Sri Lanka - PA/Ben Whitley

England Test captain Ben Stokes called for ticket prices to be made cheaper earlier this month in an interview with Telegraph Sport.

He said: “Just make it a bit cheaper for people to come and watch. Pretty easy solution in my eyes.”

Following the Test against Sri Lanka, MCC said the club would review their pricing policies for the fourth day of Test matches going forward.

“We will be paying particular attention to the structure of fourth-day tickets in our pricing reviews given the way that Test cricket is now being played,” Guy Lavender, the chief executive and secretary of MCC, said in a statement.

For the fourth day against India next year, tickets for under-16s cost £25. For adults, restricted view tickets begin at £50, but tickets with a full view cost £90-£150.

MCC argue that the prices reflect the attraction of the opposition, with India now established as the second-biggest draw after Australia. The top-priced tickets for the India Test are £5 more expensive than those against Australia in the 2023 Ashes, a below-inflation increase.

Lord’s is also hosting the World Test Championship final, which begins on June 11, with India and Australia currently on course to qualify for the match. Adult tickets are priced at £70 for seats with a restricted view, rising to £130.