Qype must record the victorious start made by England's new cricket captain, Kevin Pietersen! By good chance, I was there to see it.
The Oval Cricket ground is in Kennington, London SE. It is home to Surrey Cricket Club and was the venue for the first test match between Australia and England. The nearest tube station is Oval. The land the ground is laid on is leased from the Duchy of Cornwall. The SCCC was formed in 1845- the turf at the oval was originally taken from Tooting Common and cost a huge £300. The original pavilion was built in 1858, though it was replaced 1898 to accommodate the success and popularity of the ground. In 1882 a spectator is said to have bitten through his umbrella handle during a tense defeat of England by Australia. This was the first time England had lost on native soil and The Sporting Times produced an obituary lamenting the death of English Cricket; this can be said to be the origin of the term The Ashes (the legendary trophy at stake in England-Australia series), for during England's next tour of Australia, the victorious England captain was presented an urn of ashes- said to represent the cremated ashes of English Cricket. The ashes are now presented to the victors in test matches between the two nations. The Oval ground was also the venue for the first Football cup final in 1872 and the first England versus Wales Rugby match. These days it has a seating capacity of 23,000 and further ground extensions and improvemnts are planned to increase the size of the facility.
The ground is an interesting mix of new and old. The new OCS Stand is home to the corporate jolliers and is a ground-breaking piece of architecture in terms of cricket stands. The £23 million project involved the demolition of the existing stands at the Vauxhall End and replacement with a Stand over 4 levels and a main curved roof, including open air terraces and a living screen running around the façade of the Stand.
The historic old Victorian pavilion was opened for the season of 1898 and is home to the Members' areas, the players' rooms, and the Museum.
The Oval is steeped in history and therefore an enthralling place to watch cricket. As befits a Test Match Ground, there are plentiful food and refreshment stalls around the ground, although as ever prices are scandalously high for what you get.
For the record, England beat South Africa in an exciting game, and the new skipper seems to have written his own script as he scored the only century (100 runs) of the match. Bring on the Aussies, says our Kevin! read more