Why has Lord's dug up its pitch and what comes next?

After years of comment, Lord's has dug up one of its pitches for the first time in more than 25 years. Why the drastic action and what next? It is the sight no-one has seen for a generation. Diggers in front of Lord's famous old pavilion. A gaping hole in the middle of the square. After years of issues and complaints around the playing surface at cricket's spiritual home, those in charge have taken the drastic step to dig up one of its strips. So what caused it, what is being done and what does it mean for the future? Lord's has 20 across the square but nine is one of five central strips used for the most high-profile matches.

Crucially, it was the controversial surface used for England's Test against New Zealand in June – a surface that proved incredibly difficult for batting. Jacob Bethell was bowled by a ball that shot along the ground and the Test would have been over inside two days had it not been for bad weather. Afterwards, England captain Ben Stokes said the surface does not benefit Test cricket and it was rated as "unsatisfactory" by the International Cricket Council. Cricket's most historic venue had to deal with the ignominy of a demerit point being placed on its record. The New Zealand Test