The cricket ball that preserved an unusual Lord’s history
A delivery by Jahangir Khan struck a sparrow during a 1936 Cambridge University match at Lord’s. The bird and ball are now displayed at the MCC Museum.
On 3 July 1936, Indian fast bowler Jahangir Khan struck a sparrow in mid-air during a Cambridge University match against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord’s.
The delivery was played by Cambridge batsman Tom Pearce, according to the Wisden account cited in the supplied material. The bird fell against the stumps without dislodging a bail.
The sparrow was later stuffed and mounted on the cricket ball that struck it. The resulting artefact is now displayed at the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum, inside Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The museum, inaugurated in 1953, holds historic cricket items including the Ashes urn, bats used by WG Grace and memorabilia from India’s 1983 World Cup victory.
The preserved sparrow and ball remain among the museum’s unusual exhibits. Conservation work was reportedly undertaken in 2020, although the supplied account does not provide verifiable details of its findings.
