MCC commit to reviewing ticket prices after poor sales for England v New Zealand first Test

GEORGE DOBELL: The club, which owns Lord's, has attracted criticism in recent days when it emerged that sales for the first Test of the summer were relatively sluggish

The MCC have committed to reviewing ticket prices ahead of the 2023 season and released another tranche of lower-priced tickets for the fourth day of the LV= Insurance Test against New Zealand.

The club, which owns Lord's, has attracted criticism in recent days when it emerged that sales for the first Test of the summer were relatively sluggish. A couple of days ahead of the game, around 16,000 tickets remained unsold over the first four days.

The Cricket Supporters' Association was among those to suggest that the cost of tickets – which they labelled "astronomically high" – was the main contributory factor.

They went on to express their frustration that "once again the cricketing authorities aren’t thinking about fans, about getting kids and families to a Test match or about making sure cricket is welcoming and accessible". The vast majority of those remaining tickets for the first three days cost over £100.

^{More tickets for Under-16s have been released for day four (Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)}

There were some mitigating factors for the MCC. For one thing, the ground is considerably bigger than most others in England – the capacity is just under 32,000 – and for another, the prices were agreed last year, before the cost of living crisis was such an obvious issue. By the time the Test started, only a few hundred seats remained unsold on day one. 

Even so, they say they have taken on board the feedback they have received and will review their ticket prices ahead of next year. That is, in itself, an interesting development as 2023 will see Lord’s host an Ashes Test.

It has sometimes seemed that such is the market for such games, grounds could continue to push up the price of tickets. But with more emphasis on inclusion and ensuring the game is accessible, the MCC may have to reflect on the proportion 

In the shorter term, the MCC have released 2,000 more tickets for Under-16s on Sunday (June 5), the fourth day of the Test. Those tickets are priced at £20. There are, however, few adult tickets available for less than £100. The cheapest available are £70.

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