CRICKET - Varsity Match 2011

Friday 8 July 2011

Cambridge seal historic Varsity treble

Cambridge sealed victory in the 4-day Varsity, and became the first side to win all three Varsity matches in the same season, by taking the two remaining Oxford wickets midway through this afternoon.

The start of play was delayed by around an hour due to rain but when the game resumed Rajiv Sharma and Sam Westaway battled bravely to resist the early Cambridge attacks. The two overnight Oxford batsmen survived through until lunch, still requiring an unlikely 120 more runs for victory, Sharma going to the break on 98 not out.

The Oxford captain brought up his ton shortly after the interval before Paul Best drew him in to an edge which Gus Kennedy gratefully accepted as Cambridge secured their much needed breakthrough. Westaway went to his fifty as Sadler and Probert strived for the final wicket without luck. Captain Richard Timms turned to Frankie Brown in his last afternoon as a CUCC player and it was he who delivered the final blow, Paul Higham leaving a straight ball and losing his off stump. It was a fitting end to what has been a fantastic season for the light Blues against their Oxford counterparts; Cambridge thoroughly dominant in all three Varsity matches. With Timms leading the side again next year, five fresher Blues in 2011 and the core of the Cambridge side remaining in 2012, the team will be confident of building on this unprecedented success.

Article provided courtesy of CUCC http://www.cucc.net/