LONDON, 9 July 2005 — Two major cricket matches between England and Australia in London were set to be staged as planned despite the bomb attacks that rocked the British capital on Thursday.
The second and third matches of the one-day series between cricket’s oldest rivals are scheduled to take place at Lord’s, in north-west London, tomorrow and The Oval, in the south-east of the city, on Tuesday.
In a statement issued yesterday, Lord’s owners Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) said: “Following discussions involving the Metropolitan Police, Marylebone Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia, MCC can confirm that The NatWest Challenge match between England and Australia will go ahead at Lord’s, as scheduled, on Sunday.
“The usual major matchday security arrangements at Lord’s — which include bag and body searches — will be further tightened.
“For example, there will be additional stewarding, an increase in the use of sniffer dogs and further local parking restrictions.”
A full house of over 28,000 spectators is expected to watch Sunday’s game at Lord’s where many fans often reach the ground by travelling on the London Underground and exiting by the nearby St John’s Wood station.
MCC, whose head of security and major match-day co-ordinator are both former police officers, urged fans to arrive well in advance of the scheduled 0945GMT start time.
“Spectators are asked to bring forward their planned arrival times, as the security checks at the gates will take longer than normal. Many matchgoers will also need to allow extra time for their journeys to Lord’s.
“Once inside the ground, spectators should not leave their bags unattended at any time. Any bags which are unattended must be brought, immediately, to the attention of the nearest steward.”
An MCC spokesman was unable to confirm precise numbers of security officials which are usually made up at Lord’s by a combination of MCC’s own staff, Metropolitan (London) Police officers and a private security firm, although the total is set to be in the hundreds.
MCC said the match would be preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of Thursday’s attacks, with both teams wearing black armbands, a traditional colour of mourning, as a mark of respect.
The teams’ flags will fly at half-mast from the Pavilion on Sunday. The MCC flag, on the Grand Stand, is already at half-mast — and will remain so until after the match has ended. The statement also confirmed Tuesday’s match and Emma Chambers, a spokeswoman for Oval-based county side Surrey told AFP on Friday: “At this moment in time the game is going ahead. We have no plans for cancellation.
“There will be additional security measures in place with, for example, more police and greater checks, including those on staff as well as spectators.”
England won the opening match of a three-game series against Australia by nine wickets at Headingley, in Leeds, northern England, on Thursday.
At least 50 people were killed and more than 700 injured in four incidents in London on Thursday, involving three attacks on Underground lines and one on a double-decker bus.
