Cambridge scrape home in Varsity T20

Cambridge survived a late scare to win the Twenty20 Varsity at Fenners yesterday afternoon.

On a dreary day the match was played with plenty of bad weather around, but the showpiece did start on time, and the umpires decided to allow play to continue despite rain towards the end.

Richard Timms, Cambridge’s captain and opening batsman, won the toss and elected to bowl, with overcast conditions and a damp outfield making it a day for the bowlers.

But Sam Agarwal showed that a good batsman could make their mark as well, cracking the very first ball through the covers for four.

Oxford were put into bat on a wet day at Fenners

Ben Williams looked to get after the bowling but was caught in the third over, carving a Thomas Probert delivery to Paul Best at point.

Agarwal was joined by Dark Blue skipper Rajiv Sharma, and the two guided The Other Place to 40-1 after the six power-play overs, more than respectable in the conditions.

But Cambridge hit back with their spinners, Frankie Brown and Paul Best slowing the rate before fellow slow left armer Best took over. The former England U-19 captain had two batsmen trapped lbw in consecutive balls, and if the first looked a little harsh on Richards, Bryan was absolutely plumb in front for the second.

While all around him lost their heads, Agarwal played beautifully, another lovely cover drive bringing up 50 off just 38 balls, although in the atmospheric vacuum that was the Twenty20 Garden party only about 3 people seemed to notice.

When the opener was removed shortly after for 52, once again lbw to Best who finished with a fantastic 4-12 off his 4 overs, Oxford were in trouble. Pascoe went first ball, an excellent catch down the leg side by ‘keeper Gus Kennedy.

Paddy Sadler, another former U-19 international captain with Scotland, came on to clean up the tail, bowling an intelligent mix of slower balls and Yorkers, and while some slightly lax fielding allowed Oxford to pass 100, it should never have been enough.

Before Cambridge got their run chase underway, the Garden Party saw an impressive performance from the Cambridge cheer-leading squad, which seemed to impress some fans more than the cricket itself.

Cambridge Cougars cheer-leading squad provided half-time entertainment.

But the Dark Blue bowlers came out looking sharp, and got the ball to nip around a bit in good bowling conditions.
Timms survived a big shout for lbw, while Anand Ashok got away with a top edge which went high but landed safe.

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There was no such luck for Timms soon after though, easily pouched by Scott as he skied a Paul Higham delivery, which brought ‘keeping all rounder Kennedy to the crease.

Three boundaries in an over from the Cambridge number three gave the innings some much needed momentum, and he scored freely all around the ground in a quickfire 35.

Kennedy picks up another run in his excellent 35

Kennedy eventually fell to Pascoe, bowled by a good ball which clipped the top of the stumps, and Paul Best soon followed for just 2, holing out to deep square leg going for a slog sweep.

Frankie Brown came in and played nicely, his 16 including a well struck 6 over the leg side, albeit from probably the worst delivery of the day, a rancid full toss.

When Brown fell at 79-4 the win was in sight, but three more wickets for the addition of just 11 runs meant Cambridge looked like they were going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Phillip Hughes was particularly at fault, getting out playing a ridiculous reverse sweep when what the side needed was stability, while Anand Ashok went too far the other way, his 19 runs coming off a pedestrian 15 overs.

Phil Ashton and Daniel Goodwin however saw the Light Blues home with two overs to spare, Goodwin bringing victory in sight with an excellent drive through the offside before Ashton sealed it with a big 6.

By this stage the rain was noticeable and many of those who had been at the garden party left before the celebrations could really get going.

The party itself was not quite the success hoped for. Long queues and damp weather (as well as a match short of the big hitting which has made T20 such an attraction) meant that the atmosphere was more Lords Pavilion than the West Stand at Headingley.

Over 1500 fans braved the weather to support the Light Blues

But the win, when it came, was worth the wait for those who were there for the cricket, and an excellent achievement for a Cambridge side without one of their star players, Zafar Ansari, who was in the Surrey squad for the abandoned match at Taunton.

The victory is a rare bright spot in what has been a difficult year in the traditional ‘big sports’ against the Other Place, and they will hope to take momentum into the 50 over and 4 day Varsity matches.

Photographs by Siana Bangura