Good Lord’s! Why Cigars and Cricket Make the Perfect Summer Pairing

On the sunny afternoon of 24th June, the Charatan team attended the prestigious AITS Lord’s Lunch, a convivial gathering of premium cigar industry movers and shakers. Presided by David Worsfold, the Chairman of AITS, and with celebrity guest Colin Cameron and iconic Toastmaster Roger Oatley ensuring the smooth flow of banter, it was a truly memorable event that raised vital funds for the Tobacco Trade Benevolent Fund.

And yet, even the most scintillating conversation with a Charatan Claro in hand couldn’t outshine Lord’s itself. After all, this is the “Home of Cricket,” a ground that transcends sport to become a living monument to British summers, timeless rituals and the art of savouring life’s finer moments.

Members of Charatan London and TOR Imports together with clients and friends at the AITS Lord’s Lunch, June 2025.

Admiring the hallowed turf

From the moment you pass through the Grace Gates, Lord’s whispers of history. Whilst the graceful clock tower has silently spurred on countless legends for almost a century, the current grounds themselves have been at the heart of cricket since 1814. Every blade of grass seems to hum with echoes of nail-biting Ashes battles and record-breaking performances, and it’s impossible not to be moved by the weight of tradition.

It was here that legendary cricketer Ian Botham lined up seven times between the 1970s and ‘90s. Knighted in 2007 for services to cricket and charity, and then elevated to the peerage in 2020, The Right Honourable The Lord Botham OBE, affectionately known as “Beefy” to his many fans, is a regular guest in the Members’ Pavilion, where he is rarely seen without a fine cigar in hand.

20th July 1981: Ian Botham of England smokes a cigar in the changing room after his match-winning 149 not out during the third Test Match against Australia at Headingley in Leeds. England won the match by 18 runs. \ Credit: Adrian Murrell/Allsport UK

Cricket is so much more than a summer sport

Even if you don’t know your switch hits from your reverse sweepers, cricket is woven into the national psyche of Britain. It’s the social thread that binds Sunday afternoons across villages and city parks, where impromptu wickets appear in any nearby field that has recently been mown. At work, matches become the perfect topic of conversation in break rooms and around water coolers, and it’s impossible to not drop the occasional “Howzat!” into the conversation.

The unhurried pace of cricket is what invites such in-depth reflection. In the silence between overs, you contemplate the bowler’s art, the batsman’s fine footwork and, perhaps, the next strategic shift in a match that can pivot on a single delivery. It’s less a sport than a seasonal ritual, bridging generations, backgrounds and, dare we say it, even North and South on occasion.

Why cigars and cricket go hand in hand

Moving our attention away from the bat and over to the stick, there’s a poetic symmetry between the measured pace of a test match and the deliberate draw of a fine cigar. Both demand patience and reward discipline. As the bowler marks his run-up, you light your Charatan; as the batsman takes guard, you take your first draw.

Time seems to stretch: the crack of willow on leather, the distant cheer for a boundary, the ribbon of smoke curling its way in whichever direction the breeze takes it. Both pursuits celebrate craftsmanship, whether it’s the tobacconist who blended your Charatan Maduro or the groundsman who prepares the pitch. And both offer a chance to step outside the rush of modern life, to engage fully with a single moment.

The ritual of the leaf

Whilst all cricket grounds offer a unique combination of competition and tranquillity, lighting a cigar at Lord’s is almost ceremonial. You begin by selecting your blend, perhaps a Charatan Colorado to echo the woody and leather notes that the sport brings to mind. You toast the foot, draw gently, let the ember glow to its own rhythm, just as a bowler warms up his arm.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, a new over begins. Too eager a draw, too aggressive a stroke, and the moment falters. But done right, each puff and each shot feels like a small triumph, a celebration of patience, precision and presence.

Celebrating a timeless British tradition

Lord’s offers more than cricket matches; it embodies an enduring connection to British identity. During one-day internationals and test matches alike, tweeds and knitted ties mingle with cool linens and cravats. Tea trolleys glide along the colonnade as the hum of conversation drifts across the stands. Portraits of cricketing greats line the stairwells, their painted gazes following each new generation of players. This sense of occasion, where every delivery feels significant, and each puff on your Charatan is an opportunity to pause, is quintessentially British.

The last over

As the nubs of cigars were left to gently fade out, and the guests of the AITS Lord’s Lunch made a final toast to their accommodating hosts, it was clear that Lord’s delivers more than sport. Here, leather meets leaf beneath storied eaves, and every draw, every delivery, becomes part of a grand tradition.

By enjoying a fine cigar in this awe-inspiring setting, we don’t merely soak up the history; we become a part of it. Here’s to many more summers of cricket, camaraderie and carefully crafted smoke drifting skyward at the undisputed Home of Cricket.