MCC apologises for Lord’s Test pitch after Stokes criticises ‘extreme conditions’

The MCC has apologised for the poor quality of the Lord's Test pitch used in England's opening match against New Zealand, which became the first Test at the venue since 1888 to feature fewer than 1,000 legal deliveries. England won the match by 115 runs before lunch on the fourth day, though rain caused frequent lengthy interruptions that would have otherwise ended the game on day two. England captain Ben Stokes criticised the 'extreme conditions' created by unpredictable bounce and excessive seam movement, which saw an English record set for batters dismissed lbw or bowled, with only two half-centuries scored across 40 innings.