The Oval will continue as an international venue for the next 20 years after Surrey signed a staging agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Thursday.

The agreement means The Oval, which staged the first ever Test match in England in 1880, will play host to matches involving visiting national sides up to and including 2022.

It also provides the financial support for the Surrey club to progress its plans to modernise and redevelop the stadium.

This year's championship-winning club plans to increase The Oval's 18,500 capacity to 23,000.

Significant

Michael Soper, chairman of Surrey, was delighted with the agreement.

"This is one of the most significant milestones in the club's history," Soper said.

"All credit must be given to our chief executive Paul Sheldon for his tireless effort over this agreement and our thanks must also go to the ECB.

"This agreement will contribute enormously to our ability to redevelop the ground and support the ongoing success of Surrey cricket both on and off the field."

The Oval has sold all four days of Test matches and all one-day International matches in advance every year since 1987.

Tickets for next year's matches, involving South Africa and Pakistan, went on general sale this week.