2010 was a mixed year for university cricket: while the Blues’ remarkable victory in the one-day Varsity at Lord’s will be cherished, and while the women and Crusaders enjoyed almost unbeaten seasons, the undignified thrashings received by the Blues in both the T20 and first-class matches will leave the season an imperfect memory. Certainly, the Blues’ concession of 611 for 5 declared – the highest score ever recorded in Varsity cricket – was the nadir of a year which had once promised so much.  Despite this there were some impressive individual performaces with Taylor bagging 40 wickets and Hughes scoring two centuries in his debut season.

To MCCU cricket – the academy run in conjunction with Anglia Ruskin – several Blues contributed meaningfully. Ansari, Brown, Taylor, Ashok, Hopkins, and Hughes all played in first-class matches against the counties. Hughes recorded the MCCU’s highest score (106*), while Taylor topped the bowling averages. Diminishing returns, alas, consigned the MCCU to last place in the two-day challenge, and survival in the nation-wide BUCS Premier League was guaranteed by only a few points.

The Crusaders (2nd XI), conversely, enjoyed one of the best seasons in the club’s history. Under the astute leadership of George Reynolds (Corpus Christi), the Crusaders swept all before them. The highlight being the humiliation of the Oxford Authentics by an innings and 230 runs in the three-day Varsity match, Michael Carson of Trinity Hall bludgeoning 150, Gus Kennedy (Corpus) scoring a fine century of his own, with the wickets shared among a fearsome four-pronged attack comprising Reynolds himself, Thomas Probert (Peterhouse), Geoff Wilmot (Fitzwilliam), and Dave Milodowski (Churchill).

For all, however, 2011, promises more. Under the captaincy of Caius’s Richard Timms, a better season for Cambridge cricket is anticipated, not least because of influx of talented freshers: Paul Best (Homerton) and Zafar Ansari (Trinity Hall) were both England U-19 internationals this summer, Paddy Sadler (Churchill) captained Scotland U-19 to victory in this summer European Championships, while freshers’ trials are expected to unearth many an unheralded talent.

All those interested in trialling for university cricket this year should either sign up at the Kelsey Kerridge freshers’ fair, or contact Richard Timms (rtt20) or Gus Kennedy (gk288).