The biggest party in cricket is set to return to the Kia Oval in Kennington this summer, bringing a sun-soaked line-up of women and men’s double-headers to South London.
The Kia Oval, home to both the Surrey County Cricket Club’s men’s and women’s teams, has earned its reputation as “The Home of T20 Cricket,” welcoming more than 100,000 fans across June and July each year.
Twenty20 (T20) cricket is one of the sport’s most popular and accessible formats, offering a fast-paced spectacle with just 20 overs per side – compared to the longer 50-over format of traditional one-day matches.
Surrey women celebrate winning the Vitality Blast final against Birmingham Bears Women at the Kia Oval, London, England. Credit: Keith Gillard
At the heart of the action is the Vitality Blast tournament, a county tournament played over nine weeks each summer, featuring some of cricket’s top talent.
Match days at the Oval combine top-class cricket with a lively, family-friendly atmosphere, including food stalls, mascots, and interval entertainment.
Tickets remain affordable, with standalone women’s matches priced at £10 for adults and just £1 for under-16s. Double-header tickets, which cover both matches, start from £30 for adults, with under-16s also just £1.
Last year marked a historic moment for Surrey, who are also known at the Three Feathers, as the club launched its first fully professional women’s team. They made an immediate impact, securing a five-wicket victory over Birmingham Bears. Southwark-born Kira Chathli, who grew up watching her heroes at the Oval, sealed the win, striking the winning runs with 20 balls to spare.
The grand finale in July 2025 brought in a record attendance for a women’s county T20, but this year the women’s competition is set to expand even further. Mirroring the men’s format, the finals day will now feature three knockout matches, replacing the previous structure of only an eliminator and a final.
The T20 season this year gets underway on 22 May with a ‘blast off’ double header, where both the men and women’s teams will be up against Lancashire Thunder & Lightning.
Relatedarticles
Following a series of away games taking the women as far as Yorkshire, and the men just across the river to Lord’s Cricket Ground, the Three Feathers women’s team will return home to the Oval in their only standalone fixture on Wednesday 27 May where they will go up against Durham.
A mega week of entertainment is set for the second double header of the summer on 31 May as the women take on Somerset and the men will play their London rivals, Kent Spitfires.
Towards the end of June, the ICC Women’s World Cup will be hosting three games at the Kia Oval and both T20 Surrey sides will be spending some time on the road.
In July, two more double headers are lined up with the women going against Warwickshire Bears in the afternoon, followed by the men taking on Sussex Sharks in the evening.
The twelfth and final group game on Sunday 12 July for the Three Feathers will see the women’s team welcome Hampshire Hawks before the men battle with Essex Eagles.
Fixtures at the Oval, available to book online at www.kiaoval.com:
Friday 22 May – DOUBLE HEADER: Women and men v Lancashire Thunder & Lightning
Wednesday 27 May – Women v Durham
Sunday 31 May – DOUBLE HEADER: Women v Somerset and Men v Kent Spitfires
Wednesday 3 June – Men v Middlesex
Friday 5 June – DOUBLE HEADER: Women v Essex Eagles and Men v Hampshire Hawks
Fri, 26 June – Warwickshire Bears v Women, Edgbaston
Wednesday 8 July – DOUBLE HEADER: Women v Warwickshire Bears and Men v Sussex Sharks
Sunday 12 July – DOUBLE HEADER: Women v Hampshire Hawks and Men v Essex Eagles,
Friday 17 July – Women’s Finals Day
