18 Facts About Kennington Oval

The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was opened in 1845.

Kennington Oval Common was eventually enclosed in the mid-19th century under a scheme sponsored by the royal family.

In 1844, the site of the Kennington Oval was a cabbage patch and market garden owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.

The Kennington Oval, thereby, became the second ground to stage a Test, after Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In 1936, India became the fifth foreign visiting Test side to play at The Kennington Oval, followed by Pakistan in 1954 and Sri Lanka in 1998.

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Kennington Oval is referenced by the poet Philip Larkin in his poem about the First World War, "MCMXIV".

The Kennington Oval once held the record for the largest playing area of any Test venue in the world.

Kennington Oval hosted its hundredth Test, against South Africa, on 27 July 2017, becoming the fourth Test venue in the world after Lord's, MCG and SCG to do so.

In 2021, the Kennington Oval Invincibles were formed as a team in the newly-launched The Hundred competition.

North-western end of The Kennington Oval is traditionally known as the Vauxhall End, as it is nearer to the district of Vauxhall and its railway station.

The project is part of a planned £50m long-term redevelopment of the ground by Surrey County Cricket Club which will see The Kennington Oval transformed into the largest cricket stadium in the western hemisphere, with a capacity of 40,000.

Kennington Oval was an important site in the historical development of football in England.

Kennington Oval was the venue for the first representative football match in the world on 5 March 1870, England against Scotland, organised by The Football Association.

Kennington Oval was the site of the first FA Cup final, and both semi-final matches.

Between 1872 and 1879, The Kennington Oval held seven full cap international rugby union matches.

The Kennington Oval was reported to have been full, and the match was attended by the Prince of Wales who greeted the players following the game.

On September 18,1971, a day-long rock concert was held at The Kennington Oval to raise funds for famine relief in war-torn Bangladesh.

In 1987, the Kennington Oval hosted what became known as the Battle of Britain between Carlton and North Melbourne, which included numerous fights and future multiple AFL Premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, at the time only a teenager, breaking Ian Aitken's jaw.