Despair at decline of historic Oxford University institution

Scyld Berry, chief cricket writer at The Telegraph, has bemoaned the current state of the sport at the university, in particular at the University Parks ground where the best part of 1,000 first-class matches were played.

Writing in his column, Mr Berry said: “Not a floodlight in sight. Not a pom-pom girl, nor spider-cam, no stand for spectators, no charge for admission, no PA system, no music at all.

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“Yet here and at Fenner’s, the first-class cricket season used to open every April.

“Amateurs would play against professionals – and Oxford beat every first-class county at some time or other except the latterday Durham – while many a future England captain cut his teeth.”

University Parks, Oxford

Citing the history of the ground, he explained that many England captains had originally played for the Oxford University team, including Douglas Jardine who captained England in the infamous ‘bodyline’ Ashes series of 1932-33.

In addition a number of overseas players have been part of the university team, including Imran Khan who captained Pakistan to its 1992 World Cup victory and went on to become the country’s Prime Minister.

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However, in recent decades the team has declined, with the centuries old Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge losing its first-class status (elite status) in 2020.

Furthermore, greater threats have been reported for university cricket with a number of titles revealing last year that the England and Wales Cricket Board planned to slash funding.

Durham paper Palatinate said that the sport’s governing body was going to cut £200,000 from its University Centres of Cricketing Excellence, including Oxford.