By Ralph Dellor at Lord's
First day of three: Oxford Univ (29-0) trail Cambridge Univ (294-9 dec) by 265 runs
NOT many of the previous 152 Varsity Matches have been noted for bold strokes of innovation by the captains, but so far, this 153rd encounter has gone against the trend of excessive caution.
Fresh from a successful run chase against Kent, Oxford captain Jim Fulton put Cambridge into bat. After a sparkling innings from Anurag Singh, the Cambridge captain then declared to give Oxford half an hour at the crease and promptly opened the bowling with a leg-spinner, Greg Loveridge. No wickets fell, but the tenor of the contest has been set.
Controlled bowling by David Mather accounted for the morning's two wickets, both with the assistance of a more-than-just-tidy wicket-keeper, Jezz Barnes. Byron Byrne was steady with his off-breaks, but otherwise there were enough tasty morsels to satisfy Singh's healthy appetite for runs.
The precision of his running between wickets, especially with Will House, was as exciting as his strokeplay. He reached a delightful century to compensate for the one he just missed last year, before hoisting David Eadie to long leg where Mather held a well-judged catch.
Day 2: Cambridge seek runs with relish
By Ralph Dellor at Lord's
Second day of three: Cambridge Univ (294-9 dec & 165-8) lead Oxford Univ (180-3 dec) by 279 runs
AN unusual spirit of adventure has emerged in a fixture noted for a policy of safety-first, whichever shade of blue happens to be in the ascendancy.
On the first day Cambridge opened the bowling with a leg-spinner. Day two saw Oxford declaring 114 runs in arrears and then taking wickets as the Cambridge batsmen attempted to reach the pre-arranged target.
Jason Molins compiled a painstaking fifty, while Mark Wagh looked set for a polished century, stroking 14 fours as well as playing a prominent role in negotiating a deal. There had been plenty of comings and goings, including a spurious glove change, before the two captains sealed the pact.
Even if Cambridge were trying to force the pace, nothing should detract from the wholehearted effort of David Mather. The left-arm opening bowler earned a career-best return, including the first three wickets for five runs in a 17-ball burst.
Anurag Singh and Will House put on 70 at a run a ball for the fourth wicket, but Cambridge were still some way short of a challenging target when bad light ended play 16 minutes early.
Day 3: Cambridge triumph
By Ralph Dellor at Lord's
Final day of three: Cambridge Univ (294-9 dec & 176) bt Oxford Univ (180-3 dec & 199) by 91 runs
CAMBRIDGE managed to force their first win in the University Match since 1992. The Light Blues batted on in the morning, adding 11 runs while losing the last two wickets, one of them to David Mather, who collected his sixth of the innings and 10th of the match.
Oxford, chasing 291 to win, began slowly. Mark Wagh raised the tempo but once he went they found themselves playing for time against the excellent Greg Loveridge and Adam Janisch. They failed by nine overs to do so.
Even this was a point of contention for, with two wickets remaining, Oxford coach Gary Palmer arrived on the field to discuss the match regulations with the umpires. Sixteen overs in the final hour might be the norm for championship matches, but it is clearly stated that 20 is the crucial figure in the University Match. The rapid fall of the remaining wickets rendered the discussion academic.