Lord's Cricket Ground was thrown open to archers and assorted riff-raff yesterday, writes MIRIAM LORD
THE AFTERNOON sun slipped slowly across the famous pavilion balcony as the South Korean national anthem rang out over Lord’s.
Not long now, chaps . . . Nearly there . . .
Never let it be said that the Marylebone Cricket Club didn’t do its bit.
You need only look to the bronze plaques, rolls of honour and war memorials in the old red-brick building to realise that the gentlemen and – since 1998 – ladies of the MCC have a strong sense of duty.
So when their country called, the world’s most famous, and famously conservative, cricket club made the supreme sacrifice and sub-let their premises to the Olympic games.
By all accounts, it’s been a bit of an ordeal for the members, turfed out of their exclusive club to make way for an influx of archers, their excitable followers and assorted riff-raff of the trade variety.
Viewing bleachers were constructed on the hallowed sward of the outfield, while the view from the wrought iron balconies was one of big screens, a large scoreboard and coloured targets.
Ordinarily, a chap would look below and see a batsman in leg-pads clomping down the steps from the Long Room, through that famous little swinging gate and out on to the field. But for the last week or so, the people going though it have carried bows and arrows. And worn tracksuits.
It wouldn’t be so bad if a fellow could repair to the bar for a bracing GT. But the watering hole behind Lord’s Long Room (all very strictly members only) has no drink and a sign saying “Bureau du Protocol”. As for the historic Long Room, lined with portraits of cricketing greats, the Olympic Johnnies have played hell with the soft furnishings and replaced all the cushions with hideous pink ones and done the same with the lovely rugs.
It gets worse. On the wall opposite the French windows that overlook the pitch are two huge branded refrigerators, placed there by Coca-Cola.
Then there’s the lovely Coronation Gardens, balmy of a summer’s evening in the dappled sunlight – wonderful for a chilled glass of bubbly or a refreshing Pimm’s. The place was given over to an archery demonstration, with members of the public firing off arrows next to a large bronze of WG Grace.
Still, there was a lovely atmosphere around grounds, it must be said. The South Koreans were particularly high-spirited yesterday, hoping to get a gold medal in the men’s individual final.
They gave out free sun visors and plastic blow-up thunder-sticks to neutral spectators on their way into the St John’s Wood holy of cricketing holies. “Cheer South Korea!” they urged.
The archery demonstration was very busy. A police woman in front of us removed her utility belt and gave it a go. Further down the line, a father and his young son were learning the finer points of bowmanship, the boy wearing a green Robin Hood hat.
The Irish Times scored three eights and a wayward six with her 16lb beginners bow. “It’s a lethal weapon” said Peter Wood from Chessington Bowmen, one of the many volunteers. “Oh yes, that aluminium arrow you just fired would go straight through somebody. Straight through.”
The volunteers chose that moment to sing happy birthday to one of their number “Fiona, all the way from Southern Ireland.” Fiona, as it turned out, lives in Schull in west Cork and recently set up an archery club there. “We’ve had about 8,000 people through since the competition started last week. We have 26 volunteers here, working seven-hour shifts” she said.
Lightweight bows were used at the “have-a-go”, sessions and the target (strangely enough called the “boss“) was just seven metres away. The Olympians stand a full 70m from their targets, with the men’s carbon bows weighing in at around 50lb.
Nearby, in the Lord’s museum, the history of cricket is chronicled in considerable detail. There’s even one little glass case headed “gender”. Bless the ladies.
As for the archery, it merits a little mention, with two arrows in the corner of a glass case.
“The Olympic event will not be Lord’s first link with archery. JH Dark promoted archery displays at Lord’s by Ioway Indians, while close to the ground, on Hamilton Terrace, the St Marylebone Archery Ground once stood.” One of the more fascinating displays shows a stuffed bird in flight. “This sparrow was killed at Lord’s by a ball,” says the caption. It happened in July 1936.
So much for the archers in 2012. They couldn’t manage to kill a pigeon, despite the best efforts of the thrill-seeking birds as they flapped across the lines of sight.
Maybe it was best for the MCC members not to have to witness the takeover of their hallowed home. There wasn’t a scarlet and gold-striped blazer to be seen, or matching tie. The colours are known as bacon and egg.
The competition built to a climax in the late afternoon, when Japan took on South Korea for the gold medal. Korea’s Oh Jin-hyek pulled off a runaway victory – doubtless captured by the brave photographers bunkered down in green “hides” midway down the field.
This being a cricket ground, we had the obligatory group of sweating men drinking beer and dressed as crusaders in head-to-toe chain mail.
There was much bowing between the gold and silver medallists, who posed for photographs after the ceremony. They hadn’t even left the field before a John Deere buggy pootled from behind the stands carrying the head groundsman and assistants. They immediately started poking at imaginary divots.
Nobody had been allowed walk on the “square” where the cricketing action takes place, but it didn’t stop the Lord’s team from fretting throughout their Olympic distraction. Special grass is coming in from Derbyshire before the Test against South Africa next month.
And as the sun set on the pavilion last night, the MCC heaved a sign of relief and their world returned to normal.
As for Olympic archery, Usain Bolt will have to win a gold medal before an arrow is fired again at London 2012.