At least Sir Allen Stanford , the Texan billionaire, landed his private helicopter on the nursery ground behind the Lord's media centre as he arrived at the home of cricket to announce his $20m winner-take-all match between England and his Caribbean all-stars. Touching down on the hallowed turf in front of the pavilion would have been a step too far. It was probably a good thing the MCC members sitting in the Long Room at Lord's couldn't see the Texan emerge from his chopper.

Sir Allen's grand arrival marked a high point for the grandson of Lodis Stanford, who launched the Stanford family dynasty when he began an insurance business in a small Texan town during the Depression. Sir Allen made his own fortune in real estate in the 1980s. His knighthood comes through dual US and Antiguan citzenship.