The Lincolnshire Poacher, Castle Rock’s Mansfield Road pub, is ‘one of England’s finest’; so says David Lloyd in his Daily Mail column on Thursday 21 July. His Test venue guide, on day one of the first Test again India, aims to help visitors get the best of the host cities.

David Lloyd (left) and other cricket fans check out The Poacher

And for Nottingham, the ground is ‘traditional and homely’, the crowd ‘happy and informed’; and the ‘right lovely’ Poacher somewhere visitors are told to ‘look no further, a 10 minute cab ride away.’ Bumble acknowledges the pub’s unspoilt décor, local ales, and the barman’s pinny. And the 10/10 puts The Poacher at the top of his favourite pub list.

The Trent Bridge Test starts on Friday 29 July to Tuesday 2 August.

Adjacent to the ground are Castle Rock’s Stratford Haven and Poppy and Pint – with the ‘Strat’ on Stratford Road geared up for breakfast from 9am on Test days and the ‘Poppy’ in Lady Bay will be ready to welcome its first Test match visitors with breakfast from 10am and all day parking (for a small charge, redeemable against bar purchases)