The Oval

The Oval
The Oval Pavilion as seen in 2015
Ground information
LocationKennington, London, SE11
Coordinates51°29′1″N 0°6′54″W / 51.48361°N 0.11500°W / 51.48361; -0.11500
Establishment1845; 179 years ago (1845)
Capacity27,500[1]
OwnerDuchy of Cornwall
OperatorSurrey County Cricket Club
Tenants
List
End names
Vauxhall End
Pavilion End
International information
First Test6–8 September 1880:
 England v  Australia
Last Test6–10 September 2024:
 England v  Sri Lanka
First ODI7 September 1973:
 England v  West Indies
Last ODI13 September 2023:
 England v  New Zealand
First T20I28 June 2007:
 England v  West Indies
Last T20I30 May 2024:
 England v  Pakistan
First women's Test10–13 July 1937:
 England v  Australia
Last women's Test24–28 July 1976:
 England v  Australia
First WT20I19 June 2009:
 England v  Australia
Last WT20I13 July 2024:
 England v  New Zealand
Team information
Surrey (1846–present)
Corinthian-Casuals (football) (1950–1963)
As of 13 July 2024
Source: ESPNcricinfo

The Oval, currently named for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval,[2][3] is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London.[4] The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was opened in 1845.[5][6][7] It was the first ground in England to host international Test cricket in September 1880.[8][9] The final Test match of the English season is traditionally played there.

In addition to cricket, The Oval has hosted a number of other historically significant sporting events. In 1870, it staged the first representative football match between England and Scotland, although this is not deemed to be an official international by FIFA.[10] It hosted the first FA Cup final in 1872,[11][12] as well as those between 1874[13] and 1892.[14] In 1876, it held both the England v. Wales and England v. Scotland rugby international matches and, in 1877, rugby's first varsity match.[15] It also hosted the finals of the 2004 & 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final.

  1. ^ "KIA OVAL PLANS TO EXPAND TO 40,000". 8 June 2017. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Surrey unveil Kia deal – Domestic – News Archive – ECB". www.ecb.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  3. ^ "The Kia Oval & Surrey County Cricket Club | Kia Motors UK". www.kia.co.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  4. ^ "The Kia Oval". visitlondon.com. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Archive / History – Kia Oval". The History Of Surrey County Cricket Club | Club and Ground History | Kia Oval. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Kennington: Introduction and the demesne lands | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. p. 14. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Kennington: Introduction and the demesne lands | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. p. 20. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Test Cricket Tours – Australia to England 1930". test-cricket-tours.co.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Kennington Oval | England | Cricket Grounds | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  10. ^ Department, Guardian Research (13 May 2011). "5 March 1870: England v Scotland at The Oval". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  11. ^ "FA Cup Final Anniversary – Kia Oval". Kia Oval. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  12. ^ "FA Cup Final Anniversary – Kia Oval". Kia Oval. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  13. ^ "England – FA Challenge Cup 1873–1874". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  14. ^ "England – FA Challenge Cup 1891–1892". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  15. ^ "Kennington Oval | England | Cricket Grounds | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 June 2016.