Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence

Durham MCC University
Personnel
CoachPaul Grayson[1]
Team information
Founded
  • 1846 (Durham University Cricket Club)
  • 1996 (Durham UCCE)
Home groundThe Racecourse
Secondary home ground(s)Maiden Castle sports centre
History
First-class debutDurham County Cricket Club
in 2001
at the Riverside Ground

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.

History

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The 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

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  • 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

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Notes

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  1. ^ 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

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Cricket". Durham County Advertiser. 24 June 1842. Retrieved 27 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Durham University Records: Associations, Clubs and Societies". Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue. DC/DU Cricket Club. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Notts win after rain". Palatinate. 18 June 1981. p. 11.
  5. ^ George Dobell (23 May 2015). "MCC changes prompt Graeme Fowler to step down". CricInfo. ESPN.
  6. ^ Vic Marks (30 June 2007). "How MCC money stumped Oxbridge". The Observer.
  7. ^ a b "First Class Matches Played by Durham Marylebone Cricket Club University". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  8. ^ "MCC Universities information & history". www.lords.org. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  9. ^ "MCCU to UCCE: UK University Cricket Through The Years". Student Sport Company. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  10. ^ a b "First Class Matches Played by Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Loughborough UCCE gains First Class status for 2003 cricket season". CricInfo. ESPN. 14 November 2002.
  12. ^ "Cricket: Cardiff MCCU handed first-class status". Wales Online. 28 November 2011.
  13. ^ "Scorecard for Durham CCC vs Durham MCCU". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ Derek Pringle (December 2021). "The end of first-class university cricket". Wisden. ESPN. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  16. ^ "NCCC News : Statistical Preview: Nottinghamshire v Durham MCCU". www.trentbridge.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  17. ^ Kali Lindsay (1 August 2018). "Durham University starts work on state-of-the-art £31m Maiden Castle sports facility". Chronicle Live.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Durham MCCU vs Lbroug, Lord's, June 25, 2010". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Men's Cricket Win MCCU Championship". Team Durham. 21 June 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  21. ^ "BUCS Cricket 2017-2018 - National". BUCS. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  22. ^ "Men's Indoor Championship Finals: Knockouts". BUCS Play. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Women's National Championship". BUCS Play. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Men's Indoor - Championship Super 8's". BUCS Play. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  25. ^ "Men's Indoor Championship Finals: Knockouts". BUCS Play. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
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