Cambridge University Cricket Club to tour India
Members of Cambridge University Cricket Club arrive in India on Wednesday to start their first ever tour of the country. The squad of 14 will play two matches in Delhi and four in Mumbai during their 10-day visit.
The university team, who are known as the Blues, will have the honour of playing at three of the most prestigious grounds in India - the Bombay Gymkhana, the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai and the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
The tour also includes a two-day match against Mumbai University, a one-dayer against Roshnara CC, and a friendly Twenty20 clash with the British High Commission in Delhi.
Cambridge University Cricket Club chief coach Chris Scott said the team were very excited about the tour. He said: “India is a cricket-mad nation and we are expecting the opposition to be strong. It will be a great honour to be playing at some of the biggest grounds in India and everyone is looking forward to it.”
Cambridge University are bringing over a strong squad, including most of the players who won the annual four-day varsity match against Oxford University Cricket Club last year. Mr Scott said: “We have lost our main strike bowler but we will still have a good squad for the tour. We have an experienced batting line-up and our captain, Akbar Ansari, did very well with the bat last season.”
There is an historic link between Cambridge University cricket and India going back to the late 19th century, when Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji studied at Trinity College. Both he and his nephew, Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji, won cricket Blues at Cambridge University before going on to play for Sussex and England. Another Cambridge alumnus Mohammad Jahangir Khan went on to captain India in the late 30s.
Cambridge University CC has provided several England Test captains, including Tony Lewis, who will be in India to follow the tour.
The team will be managed by club president Roger Knight, a former president of the MCC.
The cricket trip is sponsored by pharmaceutical company, Cipla, whose director is Dr Yusuf Hamied, an alumnus of Christ’s College.
The trip has been arranged to coincide with the visit of the Vice-Chancellor, Alison Richard, who is leading a delegation to strengthen historic links between the university and India. Professor Richard will be attending two of the matches.
Tour matches:
Thursday January 7 v High Commissioner’s XI at Hamdard University Ground at 5pm;
Saturday January 9 v Delhi Cricket Association at at the Ferez Shah Kotla Cricket Ground at 10am;
Sunday January 10 v Roshanara CC at Roshanara CC ground at 10am;
Tuesday January 12 and Wednesday January 13 two-day game v Bombay University at MCA Recreation Ground at 10am on both days;
Thursday January 14 v Cricket Club of India at Brabourne Stadium at 10am;
Friday January 15 v Bombay Gymkhana Ground at 10am.
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