In 1936, a fast delivery by an Indian bowler killed a bird at Lord’s. The bird was stuffed and mounted on the same ball and now sits in the MCC museum

Photo credit: X/@HomeOfCricket Every corner of Lord’s Cricket Ground has a story to tell. Since opening in 1814, the venue in London’s St John’s Wood has become one of cricket’s most famous grounds. Generations of cricketers have played here and many of the game’s most memorable moments have taken place on its grounds.Away from the pitch, Lord’s is also home to one of the greatest cricket collections in history. Inside the ground is the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum, which was inaugurated in 1953 by HRH, The Duke of Edinburgh. It is one of the oldest sports museums in the world and houses some of the game’s most famous artefacts.Visitors can view Kapil Dev’s 1983 World Cup memorabilia, Ashes urn, bats used by WG Grace and many other pieces of history from different eras of cricket. But among all the exhibits, one exhibit continues to stand out for its unusual story – a cricket ball with a stuffed sparrow.

The day the cricket ball hit the sparrow

The incident happened on 3 July 1936 during a match between Cambridge University and MCC at Lord’s.Indian fast bowler Jahangir Khan represented Cambridge University. He was bowling with Tom Pearce when one of his deliveries hit a sparrow mid-air. The bird died instantly after being hit by the ball.What made the incident even stranger was what followed. Pearce still managed to play the delivery and the sparrow fell near the stumps.As the Wisden Almanack noted: “TN Pearce, the batsman, managed to play the ball and the bird fell on the stumps without clearing the bail.”The unusual moment instantly became part of cricketing folklore and instead of the bird being thrown out, it was preserved.

How the sparrow became a museum exhibit

The sparrow was stuffed and mounted on a cricket ball that hit it.The exhibition was later housed in the Memorial Gallery at Lord’s and has remained one of the museum’s most recognized exhibits ever since.The museum describes it as one of its “most beloved artifacts”.“The unfortunate bird was stuffed and mounted on the ball that killed it, and subsequently exhibited in the Memorial Gallery at Lord’s. It has since become one of the most curious and popular artefacts ever exhibited on earth.”For decades, thousands of visitors have stopped to look at the sparrow and the ball, making it one of the museum’s most talked-about exhibits, even though it has nothing to do with the famous innings or the big trophy.

What scientists discovered 84 years later

The sparrow remained on display at Lord’s for decades before conservation work was carried out by experts in 2020.It was sent to London’s Natural History Museum where experts examined and restored it.Conservation work revealed something not known since 1936. The bird was identified as a young adult male sparrow.The museum also repaired damages that appeared over time. According to the MCC Museum, “Conservation work at the Natural History Museum in early 2020 revealed for the first time that the sparrow was a young adult male.”Restoration included repairs to skin tears on the belly, a loose wing, and cleaning dust and dirt accumulated over many years inside the museum.The work was carried out to ensure that the exhibition could continue to be exhibited to future visitors.

The bird has left Lord’s only twice

The 2020 conservation trip was only the second time the sparrow has left Lord’s since becoming part of the museum.His first trip came in 2006 when he traveled to the Netherlands.The sparrow became part of the Grand House Sparrow exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam, where it was exhibited. After returning to Lord’s, she continued to occupy her place inside the MCC museum.The museum noted that conservation work in London should help preserve the exhibit for years to come.“Her more recent journey should ensure she remains fit to delight visitors to the MCC museum for many years to come.”