Cricket at Oxford

The Oxford Universities Cricket Centre of Excellence (OUCCE) team is made up of students from both Oxford Brookes University and the University of Oxford. This collaboration is part of a national scheme instigated by the English Cricket Board in 1999 to ensure the best young cricketers in the UK are encouraged to go onto a university education.

The Oxford Universities Cricket Centre of Excellence has consistently been placed in the top two teams in the country, in terms of performance and talent development. The facilities the centre has for young players are first-class and include a full-time professional resident coach, Graham Charlesworth, who is committed to maintaining Oxford as the highest achieving quality cricket centres in the country.

The Oxford Universities Cricket Centre for Excellence is based at the University Parks and is the only UK cricket ground where first-class cricket can be watched for free.

Cricket at Oxford has a long and distinguished history breeding many Test players, captains and first-class country cricketers, including Colin Cowdrey, Imran Khan, Vic Marks, Mark Wagh, James Averis, Jamie Dalrymple, and Mike Munday.

The OUCCE operates two Men’s Teams and a Women’s Team. The Men’s 1st XI (Blues) play throughout the season in friendlies preparing for their two Varsity Fixtures. These fixtures are against quality sides, including select sides from the MCC, Combined Services, Earl of Arundel and Sir Paul Getty. The 4-day Varsity is held alternatively at Oxford or Cambridge. This First Class fixture is the highlight of the season with the starting 11 gaining their 'Blues'. The Blues also play a 1-day fixture, competed at Lords, the game attracts a good crowd as well as giving players the opportunity to play at the home of cricket. The 2nd XI compete in the British Universities programme, along with friendlies making up a quality fixture programme of over 15 games. The Women’s team, also compete in the BUSA programme, and hold their Varisty fixture at the Nursery Ground at Lords on the same day as the Blues Fixture.