Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence
Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (Durham UCCE), known as Durham MCC University (Durham MCCU) from 2010 to 2020, is a cricket coaching centre based at Durham University in Durham, County Durham, England, and the name under which the Durham University Cricket Club (DUCC) first team plays.
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Personnel | |
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Coach | Paul Grayson[1] |
Team information | |
Founded |
|
Home ground | The Racecourse |
Secondary home ground(s) | Maiden Castle sports centre |
History | |
First-class debut | Durham County Cricket Club in 2001 at the Riverside Ground |
History
editThe earliest record of cricket being played by Durham University was in 1842, at Sunderland on 17 June 1842, with the university taking a 58 run victory.[2] The earliest recorded home match was in 1843, against a Sunderland team at The Racecourse, which has remained the university's home ground ever since and is the oldest university ground in England.[a] Durham University Cricket Club was formed in 1846.[3] In 1981, Durham became the first university other than Oxford or Cambridge to play against a county side, with a three day match against Nottinghamshire at The Racecourse.[4]
The Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence was established as a training centre by Graeme Fowler in 1996; he would continue as Durham's head coach until stepping down in protest at changes introduced by the MCC in 2015.[5][6] He was succeeded by Essex coach Paul Grayson.[1]
The UCCE model was adopted nationally by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2000, with the establishment of five other UCCEs at Cambridge, Cardiff, Oxford, Leeds/Bradford and Loughborough. With the exception of Loughborough, these were all multi-institution centres. The scheme transferred to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 2004, with the UCCEs becoming MCC Universities from 2010.[7] As Durham MCC University, the coaching centre was largely funded by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).[8] In 2020, the universities programme returned to the ECB.[9]
From 2001, Durham joined Oxford and Cambridge in having matches against first-class counties considered as first-class matches, playing their first first-class match against Durham County Cricket Club at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on 16 April 2021. Their first home first-class match was played at The Racecourse against Lancashire on 13 June 2001.[10] This would eventually expand to include Loughborough UCCE from 2003 and all of the MCCUs from 2012.[11][12] In 2012, Durham MCCU were dismissed for 18 against Durham County Cricket Club,[13] the lowest first-class innings total since 1983.[14] First class status was removed from all university matches after 2020, with the final first-class matches in 2020 being cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.[15]
After obtaining first-class status in 2001, the university produced a large number of cricketers who obtained professional county contracts, while others such as James Foster went on to play international cricket. Prior to first-class status, players such as Andrew Strauss and Nasser Hussain played for the university's cricket club.[16]
As Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence, the team played 27 first-class matches from 2001 to 2009.[10] As Durham Marylebone Cricket Club University, the team played 21 first-class matches (not including one abandoned and two cancelled) from 2010 to 2020.[7]
An expansion of the university's Maiden Castle sports centre in 2019 included the construction of an indoor cricket hall.[17] This allowed Durham to host indoor cricket matches, which had previously been played at the Riverside Ground's indoor facility.
Honours
edit- MCC Universities Two-Day Championship winners 2010[18]
- MCC Universities Challenge Final winners 2010 and 2018[19][20]
- BUCS Cricket Men's National Division winners 2018[21]
- BUCS Cricket Men's Indoor Championship Finals winners 2022[22]
- BUCS Cricket Women's National Championship winners 2022[23]
- BUCS Cricket Men's Indoor Championship Super 8's winners 2023[24]
- BUCS Cricket Men's Indoor Championship Finals winners 2024[25]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Oxford University Cricket Club's ground at The Parks has been in use since 1881, while Cambridge University Cricket Club have used Fenners since 1848
References
edit- ^ a b "Paul Grayson announced as Durham University MCCU Coach". Durham University. 30 September 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ "Cricket". Durham County Advertiser. 24 June 1842. Retrieved 27 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Durham University Records: Associations, Clubs and Societies". Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue. DC/DU Cricket Club. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Notts win after rain". Palatinate. 18 June 1981. p. 11.
- ^ George Dobell (23 May 2015). "MCC changes prompt Graeme Fowler to step down". CricInfo. ESPN.
- ^ Vic Marks (30 June 2007). "How MCC money stumped Oxbridge". The Observer.
- ^ a b "First Class Matches Played by Durham Marylebone Cricket Club University". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ "MCC Universities information & history". www.lords.org. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ "MCCU to UCCE: UK University Cricket Through The Years". Student Sport Company. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ a b "First Class Matches Played by Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ "Loughborough UCCE gains First Class status for 2003 cricket season". CricInfo. ESPN. 14 November 2002.
- ^ "Cricket: Cardiff MCCU handed first-class status". Wales Online. 28 November 2011.
- ^ "Scorecard for Durham CCC vs Durham MCCU". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ^ "Team Totals of Less than 30 in an Innings in First-Class Cricket". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ^ Derek Pringle (December 2021). "The end of first-class university cricket". Wisden. ESPN. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "NCCC News : Statistical Preview: Nottinghamshire v Durham MCCU". www.trentbridge.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ Kali Lindsay (1 August 2018). "Durham University starts work on state-of-the-art £31m Maiden Castle sports facility". Chronicle Live.
- ^ "MCCU TWO-DAY CHAMPIONSHIP - TABLE". Marylebone Cricket Club. MCC Universities 2 Day Championship Past Winners. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "Durham MCCU vs Lbroug, Lord's, June 25, 2010". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "Men's Cricket Win MCCU Championship". Team Durham. 21 June 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "BUCS Cricket 2017-2018 - National". BUCS. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "Men's Indoor Championship Finals: Knockouts". BUCS Play. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Women's National Championship". BUCS Play. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Men's Indoor - Championship Super 8's". BUCS Play. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Men's Indoor Championship Finals: Knockouts". BUCS Play. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2024.