The Oval has come a long way since the inaugural FA Cup final of 1872  © AFP

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England's oldest Test ground has staged all manner of additional events since it opened in 1845 and on November 3, cricket will be far from the mind as Aussie Rules Football comes back into town for the inaugural Australian Football European Challenge.

The sport is returning to London after a six-year break and is set to resume an annual slot to promote the game in Europe. The match between Port Adelaide and Western Bulldogs will be played in twilight - an "exciting development" according to AFL Europe.

"We're expecting a really good, tight contest between two good sides," Tony Woods, AFL International Development Manager, told Surrey TV. "We'd expect another big Australian-based crowd but it also reaches out to Londoners so we're hoping they can come along and experience what we think is the most spectacular game in the world."

The Oval will also host a re-run of the first FA Cup final, Wanderers v Engineers, on November 7 to mark the 140th anniversary of the match originally played in 1872. Wanderers won the first final 1-0 and The Oval hosted the FA Cup final until 1892.