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Cambridge University Cricket Club

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Cambridge University Cricket Club
Personnel
CaptainEngland Alisdair Pollock
CoachEngland Chris Scott
Team information
Founded1820; 204 years ago (1820)
Home groundFenner's
Official websitewww.cucc.net

Cambridge University Cricket Club (CUCC) is the representative cricket club for students of the University of Cambridge. It has always had important or first-class status and is classified as an important team by substantial sources from 1817 to 1894;[1][2] classified as an official first-class team from 1895 by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the County Championship clubs;[3] and classified as a List A team in 1973 only.[4]

With some 1,200 members, home fixtures are played at Fenner's. CUCC has two men's teams (Blues and the Crusaders) and one women's team (CUWCC) and together they play nearly 100 days of cricket each season. The inaugural University Match between CUCC and Oxford University Cricket Club (OUCC) was played in 1827 and is now the club's sole first-class fixture each season.

CUCC also operates as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE), which includes Anglia Ruskin University. The UCCE was rebranded as Cambridge MCC (MCCU) prior to the 2010 season when its governance moved from ECB to MCC. Both male and female MCCU teams play in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) competitions.

The club also oversees and manages the annual inter-college 'Cuppers' cricket competition.

The earliest reference to cricket at Cambridge University is in 1710. A Cambridge University team played against an Eton team in 1754 and 1755, although those were minor matches. It is not known if the Eton teams were present or past pupils.

Cambridge University began an annual series against Cambridge Town Club, which evolved into the original Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club, on 30 May 1817.[5] It is with this game that both teams acquired important match status.

All CUCC teams play annual University Matches against Oxford as well as other matches throughout the Lent and Summer terms. The first team four-day University Match retains its first class status and alternates between being held at Fenner's and the The Parks. The one-day match is played at Lord's on the same day as the CUWCC one-day University Match. The Crusaders play a three-day game against the Authentics as well as one-day and Twenty20 games.

Cricket at Cambridge University

The cricket team of 1899

Cricketers who represent Cambridge University strive to be awarded a 'Blue', the University wide mark of sporting achievement. A 'Blue' is currently awarded to those representing the First XI at Lords' in the 1-day Fixture, or in the 4-Day First-Class fixture (Oxford University only awards a Blue for the First-Class Fixture). Those representing the Second XI (the Crusaders) are eligible for a 'Colour' if they represent the Crusaders against Oxford's 'Tics. Despite having 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 at Lord's and a discretionary full Blue if any of them meet the relevant criteria laid down by the Blues Committee.

Recent history

In recent Oxford/Cambridge University matches (other than the notable whitewash in 2011) the honours have been fairly even between the two Universities. In 2009 Cambridge won the 4-day Fixture, but lost the 1-day Fixture. In 2010 the Cambridge Blues played Oxford in 3 matches for the first time - the Twenty20, 4-Day First-Class Fixture and the 1-Day Fixture at Lord's (note that colours are not awarded for the Twenty20 game). Cambridge won the 1-Day fixture at Lord's to prevent an Oxford clean sweep chasing down 270 to win. In 2011, Cambridge won all three matches against Oxford, and as a result were the Hawks' Club team of the year. In the heavily rain affected 2012 season they won the 1-day fixture at Lord's for the third year in a row, but were defeated in the Twenty20 at the Parks. The 4 day match ended in a draw. 2013 saw a reinvigorated Oxford team claim victory at Lord's and in the 4-Day University Match.

The Cambridge Centre of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) team has played 27 first-class matches between 2001 and 2009. As the Cambridge Marylebone Cricket Club Universities, the team has played fourteen first-class matches between 2010 and 2015.

Grounds

The three grounds that Cambridge University have 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. Only the first-class and List A matches played at the ground by Cambridge University are recorded in the table.

Name Location First Last Matches First Last Matches Refs
First-class List A
University Ground Barnwell 24 May 1821
v Cambridge Town Club		 30 May 1830
v Cambridge Town Club		 8 — — 0 [6][7]
Parker's Piece
 Cambridge 27 May 1835
v Marylebone Cricket Club		 13 May 1847
v Marylebone Cricket Club		 13 — — 0 [8][9]
Fenner's
 Cambridge 18 May 1848
v Marylebone Cricket Club		 5 July 2016
v Oxford University		 841 6 May 1972
v Worcestershire		 11 May 1974
v Essex		 4 [10][11][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ ACS (1981). A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709 – 1863. Nottingham: ACS.
  2. ^ ACS (1982). A Guide to First-Class Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles. Nottingham: ACS.
  3. ^ Birley, p. 145.
  4. ^ "List A events played by Cambridge University". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  5. ^ Cambridge Town Club v Cambridge University 1817
  6. ^ "University Ground, Barnwell, Cambridge". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
  7. ^ "First-Class Matches played on University Ground, Barnwell, Cambridge (8)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
  8. ^ "Parker's Piece, Cambridge". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
  9. ^ "First-Class Matches played on Parker's Piece, Cambridge (13)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
  10. ^ "FP Fenner's Ground, Cambridge". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
  11. ^ "First-Class Matches played on FP Fenner's Ground, Cambridge (838)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
  12. ^ "List A Matches played on FP Fenner's Ground, Cambridge (4)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
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