Cricket: Caius Cruise To Cuppers Victory

In a dominant performance at Clare’s Bentley Road ground, Caius cruised to victory over St John’s in their first cricket cuppers final win since 2008.

Champions by default last year after a washed out season saw them as the only team to even reach the final, Caius were keen to show that they could win in a more orthodox fashion as well.

Openers Robin Thompson and Akshay Deshmukh laid solid foundations with a partnership of 88. Deshmukh, something of a run machine, set about flaying the John’s bowling to the far corners of the ground, barely acknowledging his half-century before holing out to Kilburn on 66.

Top-Scorer Akshay Deshmukh

There then followed a cameo by captain Akshat Agarwal who succumbed to Alex Hearne for 11 before Crusaders captain Tom Maguire and then former Blues spinner Michael Taylor worked to push up the run rate before both men were run out while Thompson continued to provide solidity with an unbeaten 57.

Caius closed on 185, with Maguire and Taylor working hard to pile on the runs towards the end of the innings. It was to be a more than comfortable cushion as the John’s batsmen struggled to match their opponents.

Agarwal removed dangerman Hearne before he had a chance to get in and then dispatched his replacement back to the pavilion with the next ball. Caius’ other opener Tom Simpson took a caught and bowled and, at 27-3, John’s were in trouble.

They could not recover, struggling on to a mere 112 for 9 from their 20 overs with wickets falling regularly, the only consolation being that Caius could not take the final wicket.

It was a dominant performance, but one that was only to have been expected from a side filled with experienced University players. With most of the side still around next year, their rivals will have a tough job wresting the cup from them – a cup which they believe is rightfully theirs despite the four years without silverware.