Blue Plaque to honour first recorded baseball match 270 years after it was played at Walton-on-Thames in England

The first documented game of baseball, played at Walton-on-Thames in England in 1749, will be marked on July 7 by a day of celebration involving exhibition matches and the awarding of a Blue Plaque.

The initiative will take place 270 years to the day from the match that took place in Ashley Park on the estate belonging to the wife of Charles Sackville, Earl of Middlesex, who also played in the match alongside his friend Frederick, Prince of Wales, the son of King George II.

Robert Sackville-West, 7th Baron Sackville, commented: "I was aware that the Sackville family were among the earliest patrons of the game of cricket; and that Charles Sackville and his brother John regularly hosted ‘county’ matches at Knole, where I live, and in London, which drew crowds of up to 10,000 people.

"But I am thrilled to learn that he was also responsible for the first game of baseball, cricket’s equally successful, transatlantic cousin: held here at Ashley Park, on his wife’s estate."

The wording on the plaque will read: "The Prince of Wales played in the world’s first recorded game of baseball on 12th September 1749 here in Ashley Park."

The event is being jointly organised by BaseballSoftballUK, Walton Cricket Club, the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance (WoTTA) and British Plaque Trust chairman Mike Read.

The Blue Plaque unveiling at Walton Cricket Club will be part of a day of celebration for baseball that will also involve a demonstration baseball game by members of the Great Britain baseball team.

A Blue Plaque will be presented on July 7 to Walton Cricket Club in Ashley Park, Walton-on-Thames, where the first recorded baseball game took place in 1749 ©BaseballSoftballUK

Afterwards, renowned American author and baseball historian David Block will give a talk about the discovery of the origins of baseball before the proceedings conclude with a celebrity softball match.

John Boyd, chief executive of BaseballSoftballUK, said: "There is so much excitement in the UK at the moment as the first ever Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox takes place at the London Stadium over the weekend of June 29 and 30.

"We are delighted to be part of this momentous historical event in Walton- on-Thames, creating a legacy for baseball fans across the world here in the UK."

Joanna Gordon, managing director of WoTTA, added: "For a while we have been aware of the fact Walton played a huge part in the origins of baseball.

"When Mike Read and the Blue Plaque Trust approached Walton Cricket Club about creating an event, they came to WoTTA and we jumped at the chance.

"We really hope that, with sponsorship and local support, we will be able to fund a baseball statue to reside in Ashley Park so baseball fans can come and visit this historic baseball location for years to come."