 | |
| Personnel | |
|---|---|
| Coach | Paul Grayson[1] |
| Team information | |
| Founded |
|
| Home ground | The Racecourse |
| Secondary home ground | Maiden Castle sports centre |
| History | |
| First-class debut | Durham County Cricket Club in 2001 at theRiverside Ground |
Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (Durham UCCE), known asDurham MCC University (Durham MCCU) from 2010 to 2020, is acricket coaching centre based atDurham University inDurham, County Durham, England, and the name under which theDurham University Cricket Club (DUCC) first team plays.
The earliest record of cricket being played by Durham University was in 1842, atSunderland 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 atThe 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 thanOxford orCambridge to play against acounty side, with a three day match againstNottinghamshire at The Racecourse.[4]
The Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence was established as a training centre byGraeme 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 byEssex coachPaul Grayson.[1]
The UCCE model was adopted nationally by theEngland 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 theMarylebone 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 theMarylebone 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 againstDurham County Cricket Club at theRiverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on 16 April 2021. Their first home first-class match was played at The Racecourse againstLancashire 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 againstDurham 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 asJames Foster went on to play international cricket. Prior to first-class status, players such asAndrew Strauss andNasser 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'sMaiden 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.
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