The Oval

The Oval

The Oval, known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was opened in 1845.

Surrey County Cricket Club was formed in 1845 and is one of the most historic sports clubs in the United Kingdom.

We first won the County Championship in 1890 and have since lifted the most prestigious trophy in English domestic cricket twenty times, most recently in 2018. The club’s most successful period was from 1952 to 1958, when we won the title an unprecedented seven consecutive times. Since the introduction of One Day and Twenty20 cricket, Surrey have also seen great success in the limited overs game. We won the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1974 and since then have won a further eight limited overs titles, most recently with the Clydesdale Bank 40 in 2011. Surrey were also the first ever holders of the Twenty20 Cup, after winning the title in 2003.

The vast majority of Surrey home matches are played at the historic Kia Oval cricket ground in Kennington, south London – which has also staged International cricket since 1880 and was the ground where the Ashes were born in 1882. Since then, every great cricketer in the world has played in the shadow of the famous gas-holders which overlook the ground. Surrey CCC is owned by its Members, who then elect members onto the General Committee. The General Committee meets five or six times each year to provide oversight of the Club and governs the Club rules. The Chairman is elected by the General Committee, and he also chairs the Surrey Cricket Management Board (SCMB) which meets regularly to support the executive operation of the Club with regards to cricket, Membership and the business of the Club.

The SCMB is made up of members of the General Committee, as well as a number of top business professionals who are drafted in by the Club to provide specific expertise; all of whom provide their support on a voluntary basis. Further oversight is provided by the Audit, Remuneration and Governance Committee, chaired by the Honorary Treasurer.