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Surrey Plays Australia at the Oval in 1934

There's Oval action as Surrey play the Aussies in 1934 - with batsmen and bowlers warming-up, looked on by fans, before battle commences

Amateur film 1934 6 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Screen Archive South East

Overview

This well-crafted film from 1934 features several cricket legends when Surrey take on the Australians at the Oval before large and appreciative crowds. Starting with some bowling and batting practise, overlooked by fans, we see the players getting their photos taken by press photographers as they stride onto the pitch. Rain stops play during the match but it soon resumes and ends in a draw.

In March 2016 the Victorian gasholder which dominates the Oval cricket ground skyline was granted Grade II listed status. Made from wrought iron, it was the largest gasholder in the world when built in 1847. It was rebuilt in the late 1870s, just before the Oval hosted the first Test match in England in 1880 and it has been a feature of the venue ever since.