This plaque honours the match played between England and Australia at The Oval from the 6th - 8th September 1880. The first test match on English soil. England won by five wickets. W G Grace scored 152, becoming England's first centurion.
Surrey County Cricket Club
D.R. London S.E.5
The "D.R. London S.E.5" is puzzling. The Oval is in the SE11 post code, not SE5. Possibly "D. R." is an organisation, based in SE5, that was involved in erecting this plaque, but we can't think which.
2025: We thank Jon Surtees of Surrey Cricket who solved the "D.R. London S.E.5" puzzle. This refers to Studio Daniel Reynolds, a ceramicist from nearby Iliffe Yard in Walworth (SE5) who created the plaque.
Site: Hobbs Gates + first Test (2 memorials)
SE11, Kennington Oval, Hobbs Gates
From British History Online: "During the war of 1939–45 the Oval suffered both from bombing and from neglect. It was used as a searchlight site and subsequently set out, though never used, as a prisoner-of-war camp. In 1945, after de-requisitioning, 40,000 turves from Gravesend were laid, and cricket was resumed at the beginning of the season of 1946."
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