Arrangements for National Village Cup Final

Lots of members (and indeed many others) have been asking about arrangements for the National Village Cup Final on 6 September.  This is all the latest information …

Timings

The match starts at 11am.  The gates open at 10am.  Entrance is through the North Gate and the Heyhoe Flint Gate: see Lord’s Map. All bags are searched on entry (including to make sure that only permitted alcohol is brought in: see below).

It is 40 overs per side with lunch between innings.  We obviously don’t know the exact finish time but expect that the match and presentation will be over by 6pm. 

The presentation will be followed by a dinner in the Long Room for the teams and a few extras (a total of 20 per club).  Those going to that should already know who they are but should look out for separate messages.

Tickets and seating

Each club gets 50 free tickets.  These are mostly being allocated to players and supporters who have been involved in (or faithfully followed) the team’s cup run, and all those getting them have been contacted. 

If you are not one of these, then you have to get a ticket from Lord’s.  These cost £20 for adults and £5 for over 65s, while U16s go free. 

Tickets need to be purchased online, at this link: National Village Cup Final Tickets.  Please note that tickets are not on sale at the gates – if you don’t have one when you arrive you will have to get one online on your phone.

Although tickets have numbered seats, they are unrestricted, so everyone can go in any open stand except in the Pavilion and other members’ areas.  The main public stands open will be the Edrich Stand and the Mound Stand and the plan is for Blackheath supporters to congregate in the Mound Stand.

In general access to the pavilion is only for players and those who are MCC members, however Paul Nash will have 25 Pavilion passes which he can give out to those who want to use them temporarily on the day. They are interchangeable and reusable. However anyone going in the Pavilion will need to comply with the dress code (smart dress for women and jacket and tie for men).

Transport

We are not laying on a coach for supporters - for those without cricket bags the best way of getting there will probably be train to Waterloo, from where you can take the Jubilee Line straight to St John’s Wood.

Trains from Guildford to Waterloo take between 45 minutes and an hour on a Sunday, and there are a couple of trains an hour: see https://www.southwesternrailway.com/train-times/guildford-to-london-waterloo.  The Jubilee Line journey takes about 15 minutes.

Food and drink

You can take your own picnic to the game, but as regards alcohol you can only bring in one bottle of wine or two cans/bottles of beer or cider per person (and you will be searched on entry).  There will be bars and food outlets open within the ground all day, including in particular the Lord's Tavern and Bicentenary Bar.

Dress and other points

There is no dress code in the general public stands at Lord’s, except that fancy dress is not allowed.  However, smart casual rules apply in the Pavilion (including a jacket and tie for men): see above. 

The Lord's museum will be open from 9am to 5pm and guided tours of the ground will take place every hour from 10am to 3pm.

Supporters will be allowed onto the playing area during the lunch break.

We hope everyone has a great time, but please maintain due decorum at all times! The Lord’s general ground regulations can be found at this link: https://store.lords.org/page/groundregulations.

If anyone has any queries, they should contact Paul Nash at pnash554@gmail.com or on 07974 925649.