Lord’s cricket ground has banned spectators from bringing alcohol to the grounds for the remaining matches in the new Hundred competition because of fans becoming too rowdy.
Visitors had been allowed to take “small quantities” of alcoholic drinks to consume while watching the 100-ball-per-side matches, which have been designed to attract a new crowd.
They were also allowed to buy up to four drinks per transaction at the bars, but this led to unruly scenes on Thursday, when groups of men chanted and sang during a match between London Spirit and Trent Rockets.
The club intervened by closing its bars half an hour earlier than planned.
New rules were introduced for Spirit’s return yesterday to play Southern Brave and will remain for Spirit’s match against Northern Superchargers on Tuesday and for the final on August 21.
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A spokeswoman for the MCC, which runs the ground, said that spectators would have to surrender any alcohol they brought with them and would be limited to buying two drinks at a time.
“This is because we did have some isolated incidents at Thursday’s match and we are committed to making The Hundred as family and child-friendly as possible,” she said.
The club said in a statement: “Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) aims to make Lord’s a ground for all and we work hard to ensure that everyone has a great day out when they visit the home of cricket. Everyone who comes to Lord’s should expect to be treated with kindness and respect.
“The Hundred is a tournament designed for families and children. We have reviewed all of our measures for our remaining Hundred matches, to ensure Lord’s is inclusive and is a place where families and children of all ages feel welcome and safe. These include not allowing the importation of alcohol into the ground, limiting alcoholic beverage sales and closing the bars earlier.
“We will also be providing more alcohol-free and family-only areas. We believe that cricket should be a game for all and we want the next generation of cricket fans to love and be inspired by the sport.”
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Members of the MCC will be exempt from the new rules, which will not apply to other fixtures at the grounds.
The MCC said that some spectators had been ejected from Lord’s, in northwest London, on Thursday but was not aware of any arrests.
There is no law to govern drinking by spectators at cricket matches, unlike those at football, who are banned from consuming alcohol “within view of the playing area”. The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act (1985), which applies in England and Wales, prohibits drinking from seats during matches.
The Hundred, developed by the England and Wales Cricket Board, is taking place for the first time this year, featuring eight men’s and eight women’s teams playing matches designed to last two and a half hours.
