- The University Match (cricket)
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The University Match First contested June 4, 1827 Number of meetings 165 Most recent meeting July 5, 2011 All-time series 58-54-54, Cambridge The University Match in a cricketing context is generally understood to refer to the annual fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club. Since 2001, in most of their fixtures Oxford have appeared as the Oxford University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (Oxford UCCE, incorporating Oxford Brookes University), and Cambridge have appeared as the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (Cambridge UCCE, incorporating Anglia Ruskin University), but this does not apply to the University Match(es).[1]
Contents
History
See also: History of English amateur cricket#University cricket from 1827 to 1863
The match was first played in 1827 at the instigation of Charles Wordsworth who was also responsible for founding the Boat Race in 1829. It was traditionally an annual three day first-class fixture, normally held at Lord's.[2] From the 1830s until 1939, it was among the most important fixtures of the season, attracting large crowds and widespread press coverage. It was still a major social, as well as sporting, event as recently as just after World War II . According to The Cricketer (1954), the 1954 match attracted over 13,000 paying spectators as well as MCC members.
In terms of the clubs concerned, the University Match dating from 1827 is the oldest first-class fixture still being played. However, it should be noted that fixtures involving certain county teams prior to formation of the current county clubs do have a much longer history. The oldest known county fixture is Kent v Surrey, which dates back to 1709 at least. The oldest county club is Sussex CCC, founded in 1839.
The next two University matches were in 1829 and 1836. From 1838 it has been played annually, except for the war years of 1915-1918 and 1940-45. (From 1941-45, a one-day fixture was played at Lord's, but these matches are not counted in the official records.) The first match was played at Lord's, but it was only in 1851 that Lord's became the permanent venue, five of the early matches having been played in the vicinity of Oxford.
Some of the most dramatic matches in the long history of the fixture occurred in the 1870s. The first of these was 'Cobden's Match' in 1870. F. C. Cobden took the last three Oxford wickets in consecutive balls to give Cambridge victory by 2 runs. The following year S. E. Butler took 10-38 in the Cambridge first innings (the only instance of a bowler taking all ten), followed by five more wickets in the second innings. In 1873 Oxford won by only three wickets. The 1875 match was almost as close an affair as that in 1870. Needing 175 to win, Cambridge were 161-7 at one point, but were all out for 168 to lose by six runs.
Another notable match was in 1923, which became known as the "Thunderstorm match". Oxford had run up a good score, and a torrential storm for much of the night rendered the pitch almost unplayable, so that Cambridge were quickly dismissed in two innings.
William Yardley of Cambridge has the distinction of scoring the first two hundreds made in the series: 100 in 1870 in Cobden's Match and 130 in 1872.
Robin Marlar's bowling figures for Cambridge are worth noting:
- 1951: 5-41 and 1-64
- 1952: 7-104 and 2-25
- 1953: 5-94 and 7-49
Players who became (or in a few instances were already) famous to have appeared in the match include: Alfred Lyttelton (Cantab. 1876-9), Allan Steel (Cantab. 1878-81), Stanley Jackson (Cantab. 1890-3), C. B. Fry (Ox. 1892-5), K. S. Ranjitsinhji (Cantab. 1893), Pelham Warner (Ox. 1895-6), Gilbert Jessop (Cantab. 1896-9), R. E. Foster (Ox. 1897-1900), Bernard Bosanquet (Ox. 1898-1900), Percy Chapman (Cantab. 1920-2), Douglas Jardine (Ox. 1920-1, 1923), Gubby Allen (Cantab. 1922-3), K. S. Duleepsinhji (Cantab. 1925-8), Nawab of Pataudi snr (Ox. 1929-31), Ken Farnes (Cantab. 1931-3), Martin Donnelly (Ox. 1946-7), Abdul Kardar (Ox. 1947-9), Peter May (Cantab. 1950-2), David Sheppard (Cantab. 1950-2), Colin Cowdrey (Ox. 1952-4), M. J. K. Smith (Ox. 1954-6), Ted Dexter (Cantab. 1956-8), Nawab of Pataudi jnr (Ox. 1960-1, 1963), Mike Brearley (Cantab. 1961-4), Majid Khan (Cantab. 1971-3), Imran Khan (Ox. 1973-5) and Mike Atherton (Cantab. 1987, 1989). It can be seen that the majority were batsmen rather than bowlers and that the 1890s and 1950s to early 1960s were particularly fertile periods. At the time of writing, the most recent Oxbridge international cricketers are Ed Smith (Cantab. 1996-7) in Tests, and James Dalrymple (Ox. 2001-3) in limited-overs internationals.
From 2001 the match has been replaced by two fixtures each year: a one-day match played at Lord's and a four-day first-class fixture played in alternate years at Fenner's in Cambridge and The Parks in Oxford. Blues are awarded to those appearing in either match for Cambridge players but only to Oxford players who appear in the first-class four-day game. Unless otherwise stated, statistics quoted in this article are for the first-class fixtures only.
In 2008, for the first time a Twenty20 fixture was also played.[3]
Records
Results
Up to and including 2011, 168 matches have been played. Cambridge have won 58, Oxford have won 54, 54 have been drawn and one match (in 1988) was abandoned.
Complete List of ScoresHighest and lowest scores by each side
- 604 Cambridge University v Oxford University, The Parks, 2002
- 611-5d Oxford University v Cambridge University, The Parks, 2010
- 39 Cambridge University v Oxford University, Lord's, 1858
- 32 Oxford University v Cambridge University, Lord's, 1878
Individual double centuries
- 247 Salil Oberoi, Oxford, Fenner's, 2005[4]
- 238* Nawab of Pataudi senior, Oxford, Lord's, 1931
- 236* JWM Dalrymple, Oxford, Fenner's, 2003
- 211 G Goonesena, Cambridge, Lord's, 1957
- 201* M. J. K. Smith, Oxford, Lord's, 1954
- 201 A Ratcliffe, Cambridge, Lord's, 1931
- 200 Majid Khan, Cambridge, Lord's, 1970
Century on first-class debut
- 185* AS Sharma, Oxford, The Parks, 2010
- 112 Anand Ashok, Cambridge, Fenner's, 2009[5]
- 172 N Kruger, Oxford, The Parks, 2008[6]
Best innings bowling
- 10-38 SE Butler, Oxford, Lord's, 1871
- 9-? GB Lee, Oxford, Lord's, 1839
- 8-44 GE Jeffery, Cambridge, Lord's, 1873
- 8-52 GJ Toogood, Oxford, Lord's, 1985
- 8-62 AG Steel, Cambridge, Lord's, 1878
- 8-66 RHB Bettington, Oxford, Lord's, 1923
- 8-68 EM Kenney, Oxford, Lord's, 1868
- 8-99 PR Le Couteur, Oxford, Lord's, 1911
- 8-161 JC Hartley, Oxford, Lord's, 1896
- 8-? GE Yonge, Oxford, Lord's, 1845
Best match bowling
- 15-95 SE Butler, Oxford, Lord's, 1871
- 13-73 AG Steel, Cambridge, Lord's, 1878
Hat-tricks
- FC Cobden, Cambridge, Lord's, 1870 [7]
- AG Steel, Cambridge, Lord's, 1879 [8]
- PH Morton, Cambridge, Lord's, 1880 [9]
- JF Ireland, Cambridge, Lord's, 1911 [10]
- RGH Lowe, Cambridge, Lord's, 1926 [11]
Match double (100 runs & 10 wickets)
- PR Le Couteur, Oxford, Lord's, 1910: 160 and 11-66
- GJ Toogood, Oxford, Lord's, 1985: 149 and 10-93
See also
- Eton v Harrow
- Gentlemen v Players
- Varsity match
- Oxbridge rivalry
Notes
- ^ The Oxford and Cambridge UCCE teams were rebranded as Oxford MCC University (MCCU) and Cambridge MCCU prior to the 2010 season.
- ^ Until 1854, with the exceptions of 1841 and 1850, it was played over two days instead of three.
- ^ Scorecard of 2008 T20 fixture
- ^ Oberoi and D.R. Fox put on 408 for the third wicket, the highest partnership in the fixture. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 2006 edition, p290 & p925.
- ^ Cricinfo, http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/395689.html
- ^ Playfair Cricket Annual 2009, p133.
- ^ "Scorecard University Match 1870". Cricketarchive.com. http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/1/1641.html.
- ^ "Scorecard University Match 1879". Cricketarchive.com. http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2293.html.
- ^ "Scorecard University Match 1880". Cricketarchive.com. http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2374.html.
- ^ "Scorecard University Match 1911". Cricketarchive.com. http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8480.html.
- ^ "Scorecard University Match 1926". Cricketarchive.com. http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/11/11962.html.
References
- Barclays World of Cricket (2nd edition), 1980. ISBN 0-00-216349-7
- Playfair Cricket Annual, 2006 ISBN 0-7553-1475-1
External links
Categories:- English domestic cricket competitions
- English cricket in the 19th century
- English cricket in the 20th century
- English cricket in the 21st century
- 1827 establishments in England
- Cricket matches
- Oxbridge
- College sports rivalries
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