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CAMBRIDGE have not started a University Match as favourites for many years, but if the tag which accompanied them into the 152nd meeting was meant to be a burden, it was not immediately evident. Tak- ing advantage of some indisciplined bowling, the Light Blue bats- men plundered runs at a heady rate, while the loss of eight wick- ets was of no consequence apart from bolstering Oxford's morale.

There is a wealth of class batting available to Cambridge, with opener Ed Smith very much the man of the moment as he stands proudly at the top of the national averages. He seldom justified such a lofty position on a damp pitch offering some encouragement to the bowlers, providing they put the ball in the right place. Chetan Patel did so in the fourth over, trimming Smith's off stump only to find he had been guilty of over-stepping.

However, in his next over Patel found the outside edge to have Smith smartly taken at slip by Peter Morgan.

Chris Battarbee claimed John Ratledge lbw offering no stroke to reduce Cambridge to 48 for two, but their hopes of making further in- roads faded as Anurag Singh and Robin Jones added 138 in 34 overs. Both finally fell to the persevering Patel, who claimed a career- best six wickets.

That was not the end of the Cambridge onslaught. Will House had smashed two sixes to the short Tavern side along with 14 fours in 90 balls before falling just one more six short of his century.

David Churton helped him to keep the score moving along and, when he took his place behind the stumps, he held a good catch to dis- miss Charlie Lightfoot and confirm Cambridge's superiority on the day.