History
The first Test for the home team England was played at the Oval in 1885. The ground is also famous for being the birthplace of the greatest rivalry that the game of Test cricket has ever witnessed, the Ashes, between England and Australia. On August 29, 1882, England faced a humiliating defeat at the hands of weaker opponent Australia when they couldn’t chase down the mere target of 85 runs in the 4th Innings. The British media then called it a “Death of Test Cricket” and added, “The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia”.
Also, the Godfather of world cricket- Sir Donald Bradman, played the last innings of his extraordinary Test career here. The love of Aussies for this ground didn’t end there as the champion leg spinner Shane Warne in his first tour to England, bowled the ‘ball of the century’ to Englishman Mike Gatting at this venue.
Pitch Report
The Oval cricket ground holds the record for hosting the most number of test matches. Though it’s a high-scoring venue, there is still enough for the bowlers to enjoy. As the weather in England is ever-changing and unpredictable, it’s difficult to tell whether the ball will dominate or bat. In short, the pitch offers support to both batsmen and bowlers. In that case, the toss becomes a decisive factor.
As it has been seen in the past, most teams prefer to bat first, and the reason behind that thinking is the assistance that the spinners get on the last two days of the match due to the dryness. Sharp turn makes it difficult for the batters to survive.
Records of fast bowlers here haven’t been that good due to the absence of a green surface, usually found in the other England stadiums.
They get a little bit of help only if the conditions are gloomy and overcast, as it was seen in the recently concluded county match between Surrey and Middlesex. Surrey pacers bundled out the last nine batters of Middlesex within the span of 35 runs during the first innings.
Weather Conditions
June is the early summer in the United Kingdom. It is the warmest season in the country. The average temperature here ranges between 18 degree Celsius and 21 degree Celsius. Due to the warmness in the country, the probability of getting dry pitch gets boosted. No wonder the spinners love to bowl here. And since the county game has been played on the surface of late, the chances of seeing the green patches and moisture for the faster bowlers are less unless the weather conditions take a drastic turn and become overcast and gloomy.
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