MCC chief insists London 2012 Olympics will not hurt Lord's financially

By Gerard Meagher, Sportsbeat

MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw insists the London 2012 Olympics will not hurt Lord's financially - even if English cricket may well feel the pinch.

SHARPSHOOTER: England cricket captain Andrew Strauss is put through his paces by GB archers Simon Terry and Alison Williamson (Getty Images)

Bradshaw was joined by Locog director of sport Debbie Jevans and Locog director of venues and infrastructure James Bulley at Lord's to announce the official planning application to temporarily transform the home of cricket into an archery venue in 2012.

The London 2012 archery competition will run from July 27 to August 3 while the transformation will begin on July 2, ensuring planning permission is required as the temporary stands will be in existence for more than 28 days.

Bradshaw confirmed that Lord's would still host an England Test match with 2012 tourists South Africa and he also outlined plans to secure another Test at the north London venue in the summer of 2012, most likely against the West Indies.

But with no dates confirmed for those matches, and with the Government contractually obliged to guarantee that no other major sporting events take place in or near the Olympic city for a week either side of the Games, long-standing domestic Test match sponsor Npower has hinted it may opt against taking up the option to extend their contract beyond 2011.

Bradshaw however insists there will be no disruption at Lord's.

"There is no impact for us financially," he said.

"We have an England against South Africa Test and once we have rehabilitation of the ground and turf after the Olympics that will be done.

"At the moment we have one Test and three one-day internationals in 2012, but there are other matches that have just come out for tender which we will be bidding for such as a West Indies match.

"Hopefully we can continue the tradition of having two Test matches at Lord's per summer.

"Having archery here at Lord's will have no impact on the schedule and I must thank both Locog and the England Cricket Board, who we have been working with very closely."