The stands have been redeveloped at a cost of £53 million.
The stands, redeveloped at a cost of £53 million, are open for the crowd in a Test match at Lord’s for the first time since 2019.
Sangakkara declared the stands open by cutting the ribbon of MCC colours, scarlet and gold. The batting legend was accompanied by MCC Chairman Gerald Corbett, MCC Chief Executive & Secretary Guy Lavender, and members of the project team who completed the redevelopment during the past 18 months even with the challenges faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic. .
“I am incredibly proud to have the honour of opening these magnificent new stands. One of the keys focuses during my tenure as President was the development of Lord’s as a leading venue in world cricket, and it’s an incredible moment to see this ambition achieved and full of life with cricket supporters enjoying the stands," said Sangakkara in a statement.
Two generations of the Denis Compton and Bill Edrich families were also present for the opening. The stands have been named after them. Nick and Ben Compton, both cricketers and grandsons of the late Denis Compton were present.
Justin Edrich, son of Bill Edrich, along with his daughter, and Bill’s niece, Jean attended the opening ceremony.
“It’s wonderful that we are joined by family members of the great Denis Compton and Bill Edrich for this memorable occasion, two fantastic players and characters of the game who were a joy to watch. Their entertaining presence will be remembered through these stands for years to come and will no doubt be accompanied by many more historic moments on the field at Lord’s," said Sangakkara.
The redeveloped Compton and Edrich stands have been upgraded with better facilities.
The stands now have a capacity of 11,600 spectators with a ground-level shop, two pitch-facing restaurants, hospitality suites, washroom facilities, wheelchair-accessible spaces and lift access at all levels. The two stands are connected by a walkway bridge and state-of-the-art canopy roofs.
“It’s been fascinating watching these stands evolve over the past two years. In what has been a challenging time for everybody, finally opening these stands fully to be enjoyed by cricket supporters for this Test match is a significant, and heart-warming, moment. There has been an incredible amount of hard work to achieve this milestone and I would like to thank everybody who has been involved in this project, which has truly been a team effort," said MCC Chief Executive & Secretary Guy Lavender.
(IANS inputs)