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England and Australia Gain Access to Lord's Outfield for Warm-Ups After Initial Ban Was Reversed
A late adjustment permits bowlers from both teams to use the main ground ahead of Rita Ora's 14:30 BST performance. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt noted the preference for practice wickets before the match.
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uk reported. Teams had initially been directed to begin preparations on the Nursery Ground and move to the main surface only after the toss. Rita Ora's pre-match set is scheduled to start on the outfield at 14:30 BST, half an hour before the toss and one hour before play begins.
The adjustment now lets bowlers access the main ground before the performance as well. The ICC has been asked for comment on the revision. The change affects bowlers most directly. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt said players prefer to bowl on the practice wickets next to the match surface beforehand.
"Some of the girls' faces when we were warming up on the Nursery Ground - people like to bowl before the game on one of the bowl-through wickets," Sciver-Brunt said at her news conference. "We had a few chins down. " Pre-match performances on the outfield have occurred at prior World Cup events, including the men's T20 final in India earlier this year when Ricky Martin performed.
England are appearing in an ICC final for the first time since the 50-over World Cup in 2022. Their last global title came at Lord's in 2017, when three current squad members — Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt-Hodge — were also part of the team.
