Complex sentence: The former, played in Islington was the subject of a letter in "The Weekly Journal" dated 21 July 1722; the latter was the earliest known match at Kennington Common, near where The Oval is now sited.
Split into simpler sentences: The former, played in Islington was the subject of a letter in "The Weekly Journal" dated 21 July 1722. The latter was the earliest known match at Kennington Common, near where The Oval is now sited.