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University of the West Indies cricket team

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University of the West Indies
Personnel
CaptainDave Cumberbatch(2002)
Philo Wallace(2003)
Team information
Foundedlate 1940s
Home groundSir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground(Jamaica),Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground(Trinidad),3Ws Oval(Barbados)

Acricketteam representing theUniversity of the West Indies(UWI) played several matches inWest Indian domestic cricketduring the early 2000s, and currently plays at lower levels.

The university's cricket team has been active since the school's foundation in 1948, and from the 1970s regularly played against touring international teams. With the backing of the university's Pro Vice-Chancellor, ProfessorHilary Beckles,the university established a Centre for Cricket Research in 1994, and subsequently upgraded facilities at each of its three campuses, inBarbados,Jamaica,andTrinidad and Tobago.Again largely due to Beckles' involvement, UWI's team was invited to compete in the2002–03and2003–04 editionsof theRed Stripe Bowl,West Indian cricket's domesticlimited-overscompetition. The team won only one match in two seasons, and was subsequently dropped from the competition. However, prior to the 2007–08 season the university was involved in the establishment of aCombined Campuses and Collegesteam, which effectively continues UWI's prior role in West Indian domestic cricket. Grounds at three of the university's campuses—theSir Frank Worrell Cricket GroundinMona,Jamaica; theSir Frank Worrell Memorial GroundinSt. Augustine,Trinidad and Tobago;and the3Ws OvalinCave Hill,Barbados—have been used forfirst-classmatches.

History

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Early years

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The3Ws Oval(entrance pictured),named after SirFrank Worrell,SirClyde Walcott,and SirEverton Weekes,is located on the university's campus inCave Hill,Barbados,and often hosts university matches.

The university was founded as the University College of the West Indies (UCWI) in 1948, originally serving as a constituent college of theUniversity of London.With its main campus inMona,Jamaica,the university gained academic independence in 1962, with new campuses having been established inSt. Augustine,Trinidad and Tobago(1960), andCave Hill,Barbados(1963). The sport of cricket was played at the school from the beginning, and the university's team participated in the Senior Cup, the main club cricket tournament in Jamaica. Participation in the sport was encouraged by SirFrank Worrell,who was a member of the UWI's staff after his retirement from playing, and ProfessorGladstone Mills,who was chairman of the university's Sports Advisory Committee.[1]At the behest of Mills, in early 1971 theWest Indies Cricket Board of Control(WICBC) arranged for the touringNew Zealand national cricket teamto play a tour match against the university.[2]This trend of visiting teams playing the university continued throughout the 1970s, with matches againstIndiaandAustraliaoccurring later in the decade.[3]However, these matches soon ceased, and from the early 1980s cricket matches were usually only played within the university.[1]It was not until the late 1990s and the early 2000s that UWI began to again play a role in West Indian cricket.[2]Led by the university's Pro Vice-Chancellor, ProfessorHilary Beckles,a Centre for Cricket Research was established at the Cave Hill campus in 1994, which resulted in the refurbishment of the on-campus3Ws Oval.Two years later, in 1996, Beckles convinced what was now the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to organise a match between the touring New Zealanders and a University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor's XI.[1]Matches between touring sides and the Vice Chancellor's XI have since become a regular, almost annual, event.[4][5]

Domestic competition

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In July 2002, the WICB announced that the University of the West Indies would field a team in2002–03 Red Stripe Bowl,the premierlimited-overscompetition in the West Indies.[6]The inclusion of new teams was driven by former international playerWes Hall,the WICB's president at the time, who wished to strengthen the development of West Indian players outside of the usual regions.[7]UWI's participation was largely a result of the efforts of Hilary Beckles, who had previously authored several texts on the history of West Indies cricket.[8]Prior to its debut, the university gained the sponsorship of the Sagicor Financial Corporation, a Barbados-based firm.[9]The team debuted in the competition in August 2002, in a match againstSaint Vincent and the Grenadinesat theOld Harbour Roadground inPort Esquivel,Jamaica.[10]Although Saint Vincent had been pre-match favourites, UWI scored 269/7 and then restricted their opponents to 244/9, winning the match by 25 runs. UWI's team had included nine debutants to Saint Vincent's one, with onlycaptainDave Cumberbatchandwicket-keeperAndre Coleyhaving played in the competition previously.[11]

Placed in "Zone A" of the competition, alongside Saint Vincent,Barbados,Jamaica,and a "Rest of Leeward Islands"team, UWI lost each of its remaining three matches to finish in last place in its zone.[12]These fixtures comprised a 102–run loss to Barbados, a nine-wicket loss to Rest of Leeward Islands, and a ten-wicket loss to Jamaica.[13]Despite these losses, the university was kept in the competition for the following season. The team gained former West Indian international playerPhilo Wallacefor the2003–04 competition,as well as two other players with previous experience, prompting one commentator to predict that UWI would be the Bowl's "most improved team".[14]Placed in "Zone B", with Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados,Guyana,and theWest Indies under-19s,UWI lost three matches, with the otherabandoneddue to rain interruption.[15]The university scored over 150 runs only once, against the under-19s team, and only one batsman,Shawn Graham,managed to score ahalf-century.[16]Due to the overall lack of competition provided by UWI and the other newly introduced teams, the WICB announced in July 2004 that the Red Stripe Bowl would revert to the traditional six-team format.[17]A list of matches the team played during its two seasons in the competition is given below:

№ Date Team batting first Team batting second Result Ground Ref
1 14 August 2002 University of the West Indies 7/269 (50 overs) St. Vincent and the Grenadines9/244 (50 overs) University of the West Indies won by 25 runs Old Harbour Road Cricket Ground [11]
2 16 August 2002 Barbados2/284 (50 overs) University of the West Indies 182 (41.4 overs) Barbados won by 102 runs Chedwin Park [18]
3 20 August 2002 University of the West Indies 140 (49.3 overs) Rest of Leeward Islands1/141 (24 overs) Rest of Leeward Islands won by 9 wickets Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground [19]
4 22 August 2002 University of the West Indies 112 (38.3 overs) Jamaica0/115 (16.2 overs) Jamaica won by 10 wickets Alpart Sports Club Ground [20]
5 2 October 2003 University of the West Indies 6/258 (50 overs) Barbados3/176 (26.2 overs) Barbados won by 7 wickets (D/L) Antigua Recreation Ground [21]
6 4 October 2003 Guyana2/284 (50 overs) University of the West Indies 144 (40.5 overs) Guyana won by 114 runs Antigua Recreation Ground [22]
7 7 October 2003 University of the West Indies 165 (42 overs) West Indies Under-19s3/166 (33.4 overs) West Indies Under-19s won by 7 wickets Antigua Recreation Ground [23]
8 9 October 2003 Antigua and Barbuda University of the West Indies Match abandoned Antigua Recreation Ground [24]

Recent years

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Although UWI no longer hadList Astatus, the university continued to play a large role in West Indian cricket from the mid-2000s onward. Grounds at the Cave Hill and St. Augustine campuses were used for warm-up matches at the2007 ICC Cricket World Cup,and continue to be used occasionally for domestic matches.[1]From the 2007–08 season onwards, UWI combined with other Caribbean universities to form theCombined Campuses and Colleges,which participates in domesticfirst-class,List A,andTwenty20matches.[25]However, the majority of the team's players attend UWI campuses. The demand for players has necessitated the introduction of cricket scholarships for players from other islands.[26]In the late 2000s, the university's team was admitted into the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), and has won four consecutive league titles from the 2009 season.[27][28]In May 2010, theWest Indies High Performance Centre,based at the Cave Hill Campus, was opened by the WICB, which the board's president,Julian Hunte,described as "a very significant step forward in the future development of cricket in the Caribbean".[29]Later that year, the university's team participated as "special guests" at the American College Cricket Spring Break Championship, held inFlorida.[26]

References

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  1. ^abcdVC Viewpoint: Symbols of the West Indian Spirit–The Pelican.Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  2. ^abBeckles, Hilary (1999). "Appendix IV: UWI and WICB Joint Press Release Inaugurating the Vice Chancellor's XI Match".The Development of West Indies Cricket, Vol. 1: The Age of Globalization.p. 156. Originally published by Pluto Press, 1999.
  3. ^Other matches played by University of West IndiesArchived2014-08-08 at theWayback Machine– CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  4. ^Other matches played by University of West Indies Vice Chancellor's XIArchived2018-12-15 at theWayback Machine– CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  5. ^Buchanan-Hind, Elizabeth.Tracing the Journey: The Vice Chancellor's XI cricket match–The Pelican.Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  6. ^Nicholas, Derrick (2002).St Vincent, Grenadines to compete separately in the Red Stripe Bowl– ESPNcricinfo. Published 28 July 2002. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  7. ^WICB Boss Hypes Red Stripe Expansion– Caribbean Cricket. Published 12 August 2002. Originally published in theBarbados Nation.Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  8. ^Popplewell, Georgia (2004).Who's Really Who In West Indies CricketArchived2013-01-14 at theWayback Machine–Caribbean Beat.Issue 66 (March/April 2004). Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  9. ^Sponsorship of the UWI Cricket Team– Sagicor Financial Corporation. Published 1 June 2002. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  10. ^Red Stripe Bowl bowls off–Jamaica Gleaner.Published 14 August 2002. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  11. ^abUniversity of West Indies v St Vincent and the Grenadines– CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  12. ^Red Stripe Bowl 2002/03 Points Table– CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  13. ^List A matches played by University of West Indies (8)– CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  14. ^CW Red Stripe Bowl Preview– Cricket Web. Published 1 October 2003. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  15. ^Red Stripe Bowl 2003/04 Points Table– CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  16. ^Red Stripe Bowl 2003/04: Batting and fielding for University of West Indies– CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  17. ^No Room for Antigua, UWI– Caribbean Cricket. Published 10 July 2004. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  18. ^University of the West Indies v Barbados,Red Stripe Bowl 2002/03 (Zone A) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  19. ^University of the West Indies v Rest of Leeward Islands,Red Stripe Bowl 2002/03 (Zone A) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  20. ^Jamaica v University of the West Indies,Red Stripe Bowl 2002/03 (Zone A) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  21. ^Barbados v University of the West Indies,Red Stripe Bowl 2003/04 (Zone B) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  22. ^Guyana v University of the West Indies,Red Stripe Bowl 2003/04 (Zone B) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  23. ^University of the West Indies v West Indies Under-19s,Red Stripe Bowl 2003/04 (Zone B) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  24. ^Antigua and Barbuda v University of the West Indies,Red Stripe Bowl 2003/04 (Zone B) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  25. ^Combined Campuses and Colleges– CricketArchive. Retrieved January 2013.
  26. ^abUniversity Of The West Indies – A New Force In WI Cricket– New York Cricket. Published 27 August 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  27. ^Bynoe, Kenmore (2012).Sir Hilary's formula–Nation News.Published 26 December 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  28. ^CHILL Cover Article: Cricket Rebirth– The University of the West Indies. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  29. ^Fifteen players for WI Cricket high performance center– WI Cric News. Published 29 May 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
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