▁lun che on ▁room ". ▁ ▁Dark ▁did ▁much ▁to ▁improve ▁Lord ' s . ▁When ▁he ▁took ▁over , ▁there ▁were ▁two ▁p onds ▁on ▁the ▁land ▁which ▁frequently ▁filled ▁up ▁with ▁rub ble ▁and ▁the ▁playing ▁area ▁had ▁a ▁very ▁rough ▁surface . ▁The ▁p onds ▁were ▁eventually ▁dra ined ▁and ▁filled ▁in ▁while ▁ground ▁maintenance ▁re lied ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁extent ▁on ▁sheep ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁grass ▁down ▁and ▁a ▁small ▁roll er ▁to ▁even ▁out ▁the ▁surface . ▁Dark ' s ▁development ▁programme ▁was ▁am bit ious ▁for ▁it ▁included ▁extension ▁and ▁improvement ▁of ▁the ▁pav il ion ▁and ▁the ▁installation ▁of ▁gas ▁light ing . ▁He ▁added ▁a ▁bill i ard ▁room , ▁a ▁real ▁tennis ▁court , ▁a ▁running ▁track ▁and ▁plant ed ▁ 4 0 0 ▁trees . ▁He ▁strugg led ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁not or iously ▁bad ▁pitch ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁extra ▁attra ctions , ▁such ▁as ▁p ony ▁racing ▁and ▁Red ▁Indian ▁enc amp ments , ▁cannot ▁have ▁helped ▁the ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁out field . ▁ ▁Dark ▁brought ▁his ▁family ▁into ▁Lord ' s ▁to ▁help ▁develop ▁the ▁business . ▁His ▁brother ▁Ben ▁established ▁a ▁bat - making ▁business ▁at ▁the ▁ground ▁and ▁their ▁younger ▁brother ▁Robert ▁sold ▁a ▁whole ▁range ▁of ▁equipment ▁including ▁the ▁new ▁p ads ▁and ▁glo ves ▁that ▁players ▁were ▁beginning ▁to ▁prefer ▁to ▁Mus cular ▁Christian ity . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁potential ▁crisis ▁at ▁Lord ' s ▁when ▁the