Kennington Oval        

London, England

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This is where it all began. The first-ever Test on English soil was played here in September 1880, resulting in an England win over Australia by five wickets, with WG Grace scoring a hundred on debut, and this is where a Test series in England traditionally ends.

More pertinently, this is the historic venue where the legend of the Ashes was born a couple of years after the inaugural Test, in August 1882. England, chasing only 85 to win, slumped from 51 for 2 to 78 all out. The next morning The Sporting Times published its famous mock obituary and the legend was born.

The Oval has witnessed many historic matches. England's dramatic one-wicket win in 1902 inspired by Gilbert Jessop's sensational hundred; Australia's 701 in 1930 as Don Bradman (244) and Bill Ponsford (266) put on 451 for the second wicket; England's 903 for 7 as they beat Australia by an innings and 579 runs in 1938; Bradman's farewell duck in 1948; Denis Compton scoring the boundary which meant England regained the Ashes in 1953; Michael Holding's 14 wickets on a featherbed in 1976; Devon Malcolm's 9 for 57 against South Africa in 1994.

Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall (who is the Prince of Wales, hence his feathers have appeared on Surrey's badge since 1915), The Oval came about in the 1790s when an oval road was laid round what was then a cabbage patch. When a subsequent market garden failed, the land was opened as a cricket ground in 1845 after 10,000 turfs were brought in from Tooting Common. It has been Surrey headquarters ever since, even though it has been well outside the county boundary for many years.

It has hosted many other important sporting occasions and can claim to be the most important general sports ground in the world. It staged the first FA Cup final in 1872 (won by Wanderers in front of 2000 spectators) and the following year the first England international (against Scotland). It was the home of the FA Cup final between 1874 and 1892. In 1876 it staged to the first England v Wales and England v Scotland rugby internationals, and in 1877 to rugby's Varsity match. In addition, it has witnessed rock concerts (The Who and The Faces in 1971), ice skating and the now traditional end-of-season Aussie Rules match. It was also a temporary home to prisoners in transit during the Second World War.

The ground itself is dominated by the gasometers on the east side. Until fairly recently the pavilion, built in 1890, and the Vauxhall stand were the only structures of any significance, with banks of open and fairly uncomfortable seating making up the rest of the spectator facilities. More recent developments, culminating in a £25 million development which started in 2004. It was much needed as the venue had suffered from underinvestment and had a feeling of decay about it.

Notes

Travel
Tube - Oval station (Northern line) is 200 yards from the ground
Train - Vauxhall station (on all major routes to and from Waterloo) is about 800 yards away
Car - Parking is limited (generally to four-hour meters) and expensive near the ground and in surrounding streets. Some local schools open their car parks but these are also not cheap
Map here (this will link to streetmap.co.uk page)
Hotels Click here

Fixtures

2014
Sun Apr 20 - Wed Apr 23 11:00 local | 10:00 GMT 06:00 EDT | 05:00 CDT | 03:00 PDT	LV= County Championship Division Two Surrey v Essex
Sun May 11 - Wed May 14 11:00 local | 10:00 GMT 06:00 EDT | 05:00 CDT | 03:00 PDT	LV= County Championship Division Two Surrey v Gloucestershire
Tue May 20 (20 ovs)           18:00 local | 17:00 GMT 13:00 EDT | 12:00 CDT | 10:00 PDT	Only T20I - England v Sri Lanka
Thu May 22 (50 ovs)           13:00 local | 12:00 GMT 08:00 EDT | 07:00 CDT | 05:00 PDT	1st ODI - England v Sri Lanka
Fri May 30 (20 ovs)           18:30 local | 17:30 GMT 13:30 EDT | 12:30 CDT | 10:30 PDT	NatWest t20 Blast South Division - Surrey v Middlesex
Sun Jun 1 - Wed Jun 4 11:00 local | 10:00 GMT 06:00 EDT | 05:00 CDT | 03:00 PDT	LV= County Championship Division Two Surrey v Worcestershire
Fri Jun 6 (20 ovs)           18:30 local | 17:30 GMT 13:30 EDT | 12:30 CDT | 10:30 PDT	NatWest t20 Blast South Division - Surrey v Essex
Fri Jun 13 (20 ovs)           18:30 local | 17:30 GMT 13:30 EDT | 12:30 CDT | 10:30 PDT	NatWest t20 Blast South Division - Surrey v Sussex
Wed Jun 18 (20 ovs)           18:30 local | 17:30 GMT 13:30 EDT | 12:30 CDT | 10:30 PDT	NatWest t20 Blast South Division - Middlesex v Somerset
Sun Jun 22 - Wed Jun 25 11:00 local | 10:00 GMT 06:00 EDT | 05:00 CDT | 03:00 PDT	LV= County Championship Division Two Surrey v Leicestershire
Fri Jun 27 (20 ovs)           18:30 local | 17:30 GMT 13:30 EDT | 12:30 CDT | 10:30 PDT	NatWest t20 Blast South Division - Surrey v Hampshire
Sat Jun 28 - Tue Jul 1 11:00 local | 10:00 GMT 06:00 EDT | 05:00 CDT | 03:00 PDT	LV= County Championship Division Two Surrey v Hampshire
Wed Jul 2 (20 ovs)           18:30 local | 17:30 GMT 13:30 EDT | 12:30 CDT | 10:30 PDT	NatWest t20 Blast South Division - Surrey v Kent
Fri Jul 11 (20 ovs)           18:30 local | 17:30 GMT 13:30 EDT | 12:30 CDT | 10:30 PDT	NatWest t20 Blast South Division - Surrey v Glamorgan
Wed Jul 16 (20 ovs)           18:30 local | 17:30 GMT 13:30 EDT | 12:30 CDT | 10:30 PDT	NatWest t20 Blast South Division - Surrey v Somerset
Tue Aug 5 (50 ovs)           14:00 local | 13:00 GMT 09:00 EDT | 08:00 CDT | 06:00 PDT	Royal London One-Day Cup Group B - Surrey v Kent
Wed Aug 6 (50 ovs)           14:00 local | 13:00 GMT 09:00 EDT | 08:00 CDT | 06:00 PDT	Royal London One-Day Cup Group B - Surrey v Sussex
Fri Aug 15 - Tue Aug 19 11:00 local | 10:00 GMT 06:00 EDT | 05:00 CDT | 03:00 PDT	5th Test - England v India
Wed Aug 20 (50 ovs)           14:00 local | 13:00 GMT 09:00 EDT | 08:00 CDT | 06:00 PDT	Royal London One-Day Cup Group B - Surrey v Somerset
Sun Aug 31 - Tue Sep 2 11:00 local | 10:00 GMT 06:00 EDT | 05:00 CDT | 03:00 PDT	Surrey v New Zealand A
Mon Sep 15 - Thu Sep 18 10:30 local | 09:30 GMT 05:30 EDT | 04:30 CDT | 02:30 PDT	LV= County Championship Division Two Surrey v Derbyshire
- Day and Night - International Matches - Covered by Cricinfo
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Latest Photos

Apr 7, 2014

The rain held off for at least some play at The Oval
© PA Photos

Jul 20, 2012

Heavy clouds descended over The Oval
© PA Photos

Apr 28, 2012

The Oval was washed out for a third straight day
© PA Photos

Apr 27, 2012

Further rain at The Oval prevented play before lunch
© Getty Images