Kmflett's Blog

Eton v Harrow cricket match, Lords 8^th May 2025. Results and Prospects

The Eton v Harrow game has been played at Lords since 1805. In recent years the MCC who run Lords have tried to get the fixture moved elsewhere on the grounds that Lords can only sensibly stage 60 days of cricket a year and in the 2020s there are other calls on the ground.

In 2025 these include a disability day and a schools open final day.

The Eton v Harrow game remains at Lords following the intervention  of an Historic Fixtures Members Committee.

The 2025 game played over 55 overs saw a victory for Harrow by 33 runs

Harrow scored 282-8 off 55 overs. Eton fell sort being all out for 251 in 54.1 overs.

Not sure how many care but that means Harrow now edge Eton in the number of matches won 61-60. 68 have been drawn although that is now historic with the fixture being a one day game. The first tie and super over are awaited..

The latest dispute in what has become a controversial fixture was about when the game should be played. Typically the game has been played in July. The 2025 date was in the middle of the school exams season and several key players may not be available.

The current MCC Chair Mark Nicholas has suggested that there is a way forward where both Eton and Harrow and the MCC see mutual advantage in maintaining the fixture at Lords. Hence Harrow have been contributing to an MCC charity and schools work…

The report of this latest dispute was in the Times (6^th May)

The match is little reported but Harriet Monkhouse on BlueSky posted that six of the Harrow X1 appeared to be of South Asian heritage and the crowd had a significant BAME attendance.

No doubt this reflects where the wealthy send their children in 2025 and who the wealthy are whatever Nigel Farage and his fan club may think. But it underlines the significant South Asian interest in cricket in the UK, persistently underplayed by the ECB. It should also be noted that some of The Hundred franchisees are South Asian based, at least in part. Of course this is their side not ours as it were but as the socialist historian John Foster noted a while ago looking at what is ‘new’ in any situation is an important starting point for any research.