The Marylebone Cricket Club has said it has begun work on costing its revised stand rebuild at Lord’s after failing to agree a figure for the work with original contractor Graham.

The Northern Irish firm was appointed to redevelop both the Tavern Stand and demolish and rebuild the Allen Stand with the cost estimated to be around £60m.

But the firm is now off the job after the MCC said it could not agree a price for the work which will increase capacity at the ground by more than 1,000.

Source: Wilkinson Eyre

How the ground will look after the redevelopment

The MCC has instead decided to concentrate on the Allen Stand as a priority because of its poor condition, which it wants to let as a single stage, fixed-price job.

It said it is hoping work on the Allen Stand will start next autumn for completion in spring 2027 – ahead of that summer’s Ashes match against Australia.

In an update to members 10 days ago, MCC chair Mark Nicholas said: “Following the decision not to proceed with the project to redevelop the Tavern and Allen stands, but instead to present a fresh proposal, for the Allen Stand alone, to Members for approval in 2025, the Estates Director has been working on revised cost plans ahead of a single stage tender process, beginning at the end of November.”

In the autumn, the MCC said the difference between what Graham was proposing and what it was prepared to pay could not be made public “but suffice to say that the difference was material”.