Cambridge University Cricket Club,established in 1820, is the representative cricket club for students of theUniversity of Cambridge.Depending on the circumstances of each individual match, the club was recognised as holdingfirst-classstatus until 2020. The university playedList A cricketin 1972 and 1974 only.[1]It has not played top-levelTwenty20cricket.
| Cambridge University Cricket Club | |
 | |
| Personnel | |
|---|---|
| Captain | Hari Kukreja (Men's) Issy Routledge (Women's) |
| Coach | Sam Rippington(men) |
| Team information | |
| Founded | 1820 |
| Home ground | Fenner's |
| History | |
| First-classdebut | Cambridge Town Club in 1817 atParker's Piece,Cambridge |
| Official website | cucc |
With some 1,200 members, home matches are played atFenner's.The club has three men's teams (Blues, Crusaders and the Colleges XI) and one women's team (from the incorporation of Cambridge University Women's Cricket Club (CUWCC) in 2000) which altogether play nearly 100 days of cricket each season. The inauguralUniversity Matchbetween Cambridge andOxford University Cricket Clubwas played in 1827 and the match was the club's sole remaining first class fixture each season until 2020.[2]
The club has also operated as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (Cambridge UCCE) which includedplayersfrom Cambridge University and was Anglia Polytechnic University, nowAnglia Ruskin University.This was re-branded as theCambridge MCC University(Cambridge MCCU) prior to the 2010 season, when its governance was transferred from theEngland and Wales Cricket BoardtoMCC.Both male and female teams played in theBritish Universities & Colleges Sportcompetitions and the men also took part in the MCC Universities Championship and Twenty20 competitions. In 2020, the MCCU competitions were cancelled due to Coronavirus restrictions and funding from MCC ceased. The MCCU teams played in 2021 as UCCEs once more, but Cambridge UCCE did not continue after 2022. Cambridge University Cricket Club, without support from ARU, continues to compete in the BUCS National League against other UCCEs, with players selected only from Cambridge University.
The club also oversees and manages the annual inter-college 'Cuppers' cricket competition.
The earliest reference to cricket at the University of Cambridge is in 1710. A Cambridge University team played against anEton Collegeteam in 1754 and 1755, although those were minor matches. It is not known whether the Eton teams were of present or past pupils. Cambridge University began an annual series againstCambridge Town Club,which evolved into the originalCambridgeshire County Cricket Club,on 30 May 1817.[3]It is with this game that both teams first acquired first-class status.
All Cambridge teams play annual matches against Oxford as well as other matches throughout the Lent and Summer terms. The first team four-day University Match retained its first-class status until 2020 and alternates between being held at Fenner's andThe Parks.The one-day matches for men and women are currently played atArundel.The Crusaders play a three-day game against the Authentics as well as one-day and Twenty20 games.
Cricket at the University of Cambridge
edit
Players who represent Cambridge in theUniversity Matchagainst Oxford are awarded a"Blue",which recognises sporting achievement at the highest level whilst a student at the university. As of 2018[update],Cambridge meets Oxford atLord'sin first-class and limited-overs matches, and a "Blue" is awarded to anyone who plays for Cambridge in either fixture.
Those representing the (in recent years considered the Second XI) are eligible for a "Crusaders' Colour" if they represent the Crusaders against Oxford's Authentics. Despite a large winter training-squad, and many players representing the university over the summer months (up to 50 players from the training squad and college level), rarely are more than a total of 12 Blues and 12 Colours awarded. Women cricketers are awarded a Half-Blue for playing in the one-day match against Oxford and a discretionary full Blue if any of them meet the relevant criteria laid down by the Blues Committee.
Cricket is also played between the constituent colleges of Cambridge University. This currently takes the form of a cup competition 'Cuppers'. However, the colleges also play a range of their own friendly fixtures. Over the years, a number of independent student clubs have been formed such as Magpies, Chaffinches, Crusaders, Inexpressibles,Quidnuncs,Perambulators and Etceteras, to name a few and they have played fixtures against the colleges and other wandering sides.
Recent history
editIn recent Oxford versus Cambridge University matches, the honours have been fairly even between the two universities. In 2010 Cambridge University played Oxford in three matches for the first time: Twenty20, 4-Day First-Class and the 1-Day Match at Lord's (colours are not awarded for the Twenty20 game).
The Cambridge Centre of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) team played 27 first-class matches between 2001 and 2009. Subsequently, as the Cambridge Marylebone Cricket Club University, three First Class fixtures were played each season until 2014 when this was reduced to two. In 2019, the ECB announced that the Cambridge games (among other university games) was set to lose first-class status by 2021.[4]The last matches involving Cambridge University as part of Cambridge UCCE or Cambridge UCCE Women were in 2022.[5]
Grounds
editThe three grounds that Cambridge University Cricket Club has used for home first-class and List A matches since 1821 are listed below, with statistics complete through to the end of the 2014 season.[needs update]Only the first-class and List A matches played at the ground by Cambridge University are recorded in the table.
| Name | Image | Location | First-class matches | List A matches | Refs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Last | No. of matches |
First | Last | No. of matches | ||||
| University Ground | Barnwell | 24 May 1821 vCambridge Town Club |
30 May 1830 v Cambridge Town Club |
8 | — | — | 0 | [6][7] | |
| Parker's Piece |  |
Cambridge | 27 May 1835 vMarylebone Cricket Club |
13 May 1847 v Marylebone Cricket Club |
13 | — | — | 0 | [8][9] |
| Fenner's |  |
Cambridge | 18 May 1848 vMarylebone Cricket Club |
3 September 2020 vOxford University |
911 | 6 May 1972 vWorcestershire |
11 May 1974 vEssex |
4 | [10][11][12] |
See also
editBibliography
edit- ACS(1981).A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709 – 1863.Nottingham: ACS.
- ACS(1982).A Guide to First-Class Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles.Nottingham: ACS.
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack,32nd edition, editorSydney Pardon,John Wisden & Co., 1895
Further reading
edit- Birley, Derek(1999).A Social History of English Cricket.Aurum.
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack,27th edition, editorCharles F. Pardon,John Wisden & Co., 1890
References
edit- ^"List A events played by Cambridge University".CricketArchive.Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2015.Retrieved29 November2015.
- ^"Universities set to lose first-class status".ESPNcricinfo.
- ^"Cambridge Town Club v Cambridge University 1817".Archivedfrom the original on 31 March 2018.Retrieved27 October2017.
- ^"Universities set to lose first-class status".ESPNcricinfo.Retrieved17 November2021.
- ^"Fixtures".Cambridge University Cricket Club.Retrieved10 May2024.
- ^"University Ground, Barnwell, Cambridge".CricketArchive.Archivedfrom the original on 13 November 2017.Retrieved11 February2015.
- ^"First-Class Matches played on University Ground, Barnwell, Cambridge (8)".CricketArchive.Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2017.Retrieved11 February2015.
- ^"Parker's Piece, Cambridge".CricketArchive.Archivedfrom the original on 31 October 2017.Retrieved11 February2015.
- ^"First-Class Matches played on Parker's Piece, Cambridge (13)".CricketArchive.Archivedfrom the original on 19 November 2009.Retrieved11 February2015.
- ^"FP Fenner's Ground, Cambridge".CricketArchive.Archivedfrom the original on 12 October 2017.Retrieved11 February2015.
- ^"First-Class Matches played on FP Fenner's Ground, Cambridge (838)".CricketArchive.Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2017.Retrieved11 February2015.
- ^"List A Matches played on FP Fenner's Ground, Cambridge (4)".CricketArchive.Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2017.Retrieved11 February2015.
External links
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