Cambridge Thrash KP’s Surrey

Cambridge MCCU recorded an historic win over an abject Surrey team at Fenners this afternoon, by the staggering margin of 10 wickets.

In the end it took just 3 balls of their second innings for the University side to pass Surrey’s combined total, with only 4 runs required to win the match shortly before the tea break.

The morning had begun with all eyes on Kevin Pietersen, making his comeback from injury and starting the day on 22 not out.

And the England star looked to be positive in the opening exchanges, scoring nicely through the leg side and punishing any width.

He and Harinath, who top scored for Surrey with 80 in the first innings, looked classy and comfortable for the most part, and despite enthusiasm in the field from the Cambridge boys, there was little threat.

Pietersen looked a cut above on day three before being bowled for 48

But when Woolley came on to bowl that all changed. Pietersen was bowled through the gate for 48, a good, though not spectacular, ball which removed both the middle and off stumps from the ground.

Harinath followed shortly after, caught at short midwicket off the bowling of Best, whose match just got better and better when he pulled off a stunning diving catch to remove Burns shortly before lunch.

The match was there for the taking for Cambridge, and they knew it. Woolley had Lancefield caught at point and then sent Jewell’s off stump cart-wheeling all over the Fenner’s pitch in consecutive overs after lunch, reducing the visitors to 189-7, still some way short of making the hosts bat again.

King and Edwards looked to steady Surrey’s fast sinking ship. Once the former had survived two strong lbw appeals from Best, they set about resolutely blocking, whilst occasionally swatting a boundary.

No sooner had a risky single ensured that there would be no innings defeat for the county, Edwards was bowled by Poysden, going for an ugly heave into the legside and missing the ball completely.

King went in the next over, mistiming to Woolley at cover off Best, and when Van Den Berg was plumb lbw soon after, Surrey were all out for 224, a lead of just 3.

Much had been made of the fact that this MCCU side featured just 4 Cambridge University players (with the rest being from Anglia Ruskin), but no-one could deny their contribution. Ansari, who missed the final day for a geography field trip, set up the contest with a 5 wicket haul on day one, while Best’s 150 took the game away from Surrey on day two.

In the end it was left to Ackland to hit the winning runs. Having survived an appeal for caught behind on the first ball of the innings, he smashed the third through the hands of Kevin Pietersen and to the boundary.

It was a fitting end to a magnificent win for Cambridge, the 10 wicket margin representing the largest ever by an MCCU side, and the largest by a Cambridge University team in its 183 year history against professional teams.