Taffia takes over Varsity
Roll over Oxford, make way Cambridge - where the old colleges used to rule the roost from CB Fry to Mike Atherton, now Cardiff are the leaders of University cricket.
It used to be defi ned by that most Oxbridge of words, 'Varsity' cricket, however now there is a harder nosed, professional approach – with the Cardiff Colleges very much at the forefront. For Varsity, read Taffi a.
Seven trophies in four years is the sort of success that every sports team in the world would envy, they have won every cup or league available to them in their short history, adding the One Day Premier League and One Day Cup this year to confi rm their top dog status.
Until recently only Oxford and Cambridge played the counties in matches considered First Class. Since the changes, the combination of University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, University of Glamorgan and Cardiff University – together the Cardiff-Glamorgan University centre of cricket excellence - has been the most successful of the six MCC university sides set up round the country.
The aim is simple – to produce professional cricketers of the future while also maintaining the ability to get a good degree – without excluding all those players who do not get into Oxbridge from the exposure to the top level.
The star pupil to have come through the system, in his case at Durham University, is England captain Andrew Strauss. Essex captain Mark Pettini came through Cardiff University and played for Cardiff Colleges.
They are coached by Kevin Lyons, a member of the Glamorgan championship winning squad in 1969 and someone who has been involved in cricket as a player, umpire and coach all his life. There is not much cricket knowledge that he is not able to pass on to the students.
“The aim is to develop people with the potential to play fi rst class cricket,” he explained.
“Once they have been selected then they undergo a structured coaching programme through the winter and then a series of games against each other and the counties through the summer.
“They are on the verge of being good enough for the fi rst class game, so it is all about giving them the technique and the tactics to move onto the next level while also getting a university education.
“Over the last few years we have been the most successful of the colleges and that also helps in terms of recruitment.”
Of the six colleges, Cardiff with their main bases in UWIC and the facilities at the SWALEC Stadium, have been arguably the most successful.
Their overall record stands at having won the MCC Championship Two Days, as well as fi nishing runners-up, MCC Challenge One Day winners at Lord's in 2008 and 2009, British Universities Premier League winners for three consecutive seasons, British Universities Cup fi nalists for three consecutive years with one victory. It is an impressive list.
Also this season Rory Burns of Cardiff MCCU is the 2010-season winner of the Walter Lawrence Trophy award for the highest-scoring batsman from the six MCC Universities.
The 19-year-old left-handed opener and wicket-keeper hit a sizzling, unbeaten 230 against Oxford MCCU, in the MCC Universities Championship match at The Parks - the highest score in an innings
cricket
played against one of the other fi ve MCCUs or against one of the fi rst-class counties this season.
“2010 has again been a very enjoyable and worthwhile season, and as in previous years has been based on hard work, particularly in the off-season, with a strong team ethos to perform on the fi eld of play” said Lyons.
“This scheme is only as good as the intake of good young cricketers on the verge of the county game.
“Balancing cricket and study is paramount, but they also work on training, strength and conditioning with fi tness testing, sports psychology and technique. It is certainly different from my day!”
Tom Warner, University of Glamorgan, Mike Read, Cardiff University and James Shannon, UWIC, with former England wicketkeeper Jack Russell
issue12twothousand&ten sportingwales
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