EUMCC to hit Aussies for six

In an incredible turn of events, Exeter University Men’s Cricket Club have won the right to feature alongside the likes of Australia and the West Indies in the Ashes Cricket 2013 video game – the cricketing world’s answer to FIFA.

The competition, hosted on game developer 505’s Facebook page, allowed voters to select which local club they wanted to see on the new game.

Following extensive campaigning in the Forum yesterday, EUMCC pipped their closest rivals Oxford Brookes with just hours to spare.

Their campaign found popularity with celebrity backers as well, such as actors Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley, former Spurs and England football legend Gary Lineker and cricketers from Kevin Pietersen to Shane Warne, among others.

As you can see, the boys were more than happy at the competition’s close at midnight.

First XI captain Joe Barrs described winning the contest as “an incredible feeling”. He said: “This competition has completely mobilised the university. Winning it was the only way we could thank everyone that supported us. Unlike our counterparts, we will be modest in victory, but we thank Oxford Brookes for their harsh words and strong competition. This is a win for the university, not just the cricket club.”

Barrs refers to, among other things, an email The Tab received yesterday from a member of the Oxford Brookes CC committee following Josh Cole’s article on the competition. We publish the email below, along with an open letter response from our editor Matt McDonald.

“Dear ‘Editor’,

I’m writing as a executive committee member of OBUCC and a postgraduate law student at Oxford Brookes in response to the following comments found in the ExeterTab (sic)

‘Could we ever forgive ourselves for losing to that bunch of second rate polytechnics. Could we ever look ourselves in the eye again if those no-hopers were actually able to put something credible on this CV’

This was found on an article which discusses the Ashes Cricket competition with 505 Games. My question is merely what possessed you to post such degrading and defamatory statements on your publication?

Our group at Oxford Brookes University Cricket Club contains some of the finest students of all disciplines. As a former member of the Oxford Cricketing academy, I am well aware how our talents on a cricket field compare to that of those members of Exeter’s cricket teams.

I really find it hard to believe that an editor of a university publication would agree to issue such offensive comments in an article which connects England cricketers and actors to the campaign. Not only are the editors of the ExeterTab clearly secluded ignorant students, but have by far exceeded their journalistic responsibilities.

Exeter university has been contacted this morning.

Regards,
OBUCC”

“Dear ‘OBUCC’,

Thank you for your kind words. The Tab would like to emphasise its right to publish the opinions of students from all backgrounds, regardless of how contentious they may appear.

I hoped this open-minded approach to freedom of speech would prevent readers from denouncing me a ‘secluded ignorant student’. Clearly I was mistaken.

I also take issue with your assertion that we are a ‘university publication’. The Tab is independent from all of the universities in which it provides news. Perhaps it is merely because I attend one of the best research-led universities in the world that I consider basic research to be of high value. Maybe it’s different at Brookes, but a simple Google search would have given you the facts about The Tab, and saved you the time and effort of emailing my university, with whom my newspaper is not associated.

Indeed, if you’d made a more in-depth study of The Tab, you would probably have discovered that most real unis have one – here’s a link to Oxford’s.

Finally, I struggle to comprehend how you see fit to question my ‘journalistic responsibilities’. Your campaign was publicly backed by Piers Morgan. Need I say more?

Yours,

Matt McDonald
Editor, The Tab