momentum allowing Cambridge to secure a famous victory with just thirteen balls to spare. Oxford will rue <strong>the</strong> reprieves <strong>the</strong>y gave to Rosenberg and <strong>the</strong> generosity of <strong>the</strong>ir bowlers (24 wides is too many under any circumstances); but <strong>the</strong> maturity of Brown and Kennedy would have finished tougher chases than this. In <strong>the</strong> context of disappointment in <strong>the</strong> T20 fixture and <strong>the</strong> ignominious defeat in <strong>the</strong> first-class fixture <strong>the</strong> following week, this victory at <strong>the</strong> Home of Cricket was a tremendous result for <strong>the</strong> underdog Cambridge team. Meanwhile, on <strong>the</strong> Nursery Ground, having eased to victory by 10 wickets in <strong>2009</strong>, Cambridge’s Women’s team arrived at Lord's eager to reassert <strong>the</strong>ir dominance. The women had prepared with <strong>the</strong>ir annual game against <strong>the</strong> Army, who were not, it seems, <strong>the</strong> powerhouse <strong>the</strong>y were in <strong>2009</strong>: Cambridge amassed 210-7 (Hornsby 37, Donnelly 35, Bellfield 56) and <strong>the</strong>n demolished <strong>the</strong> forces for 91 (Clarkson 3-22 and Davis 3-15). So <strong>the</strong>y entered <strong>the</strong>ir winner-takes-all varsity match with high confidence. After losing <strong>the</strong> toss and being put into bat, openers Sophia Davis and Charlotte Hornsby established a solid base, with Hornsby reaching 27 before being caught at slip. Cambridge lost wickets at a steady rate, but each member proved <strong>the</strong>ir worth to <strong>the</strong> team. Helen Bellfield, batting at 4, scored a fine 45 before falling to a dubious LBW appeal from Oxford. The partnership of Bellfield and captain Ellie Fielding steadied <strong>the</strong> Cambridge ship somewhat and vice-captain Danielle Lavender scored a fine 24 batting with <strong>the</strong> tail. Cambridge were all out with just 3 balls to go and 32 Sports Yearbook <strong>2011</strong> hoped that 241 would be enough with <strong>the</strong> small boundary on <strong>the</strong> nursery pitch. Before <strong>the</strong> match began, Cambridge were well aware of <strong>the</strong> reliance of Oxford on <strong>the</strong>ir opening bat and captain, LeMarchand. She looked in good form, and as she fell into her stride Cambridge knew something had to be done. Commence <strong>the</strong> day of Bellfield - with a solid 45 under her belt she came onto bowl from <strong>the</strong> top end and with flighted right arm off-spin she soon took LeMarchand caught and bowled on 79. Bellfield (“Squirrel”) ended <strong>the</strong> match with 4-33. After <strong>the</strong> demise of <strong>the</strong>ir captain Oxford collapsed with Bellfield taking 2 more wickets and Clarkson returning to clean up <strong>the</strong> rest ending with figures of 2-38. Fielding took <strong>the</strong> last catch to end Oxford's hopes of turning <strong>the</strong> tables from last year, bowled out in 35.4 overs. Crusaders’ 3-day Varsity Match, Fenner’s, 23-25 July <strong>2010</strong> Oxford arrived full of energy, no doubt disappointed by <strong>the</strong> result of <strong>the</strong> T20 but probably assuming <strong>the</strong>y could take <strong>the</strong> positives from that performance and compete with <strong>the</strong> bat and ball.They left two days later broken men, having been outbowled, outfielded, and outbatted so comprehensively that – even at lunch on <strong>the</strong> first day – <strong>the</strong>y must have seen <strong>the</strong> writing on <strong>the</strong> wall. The game's first half hour gave no indication of <strong>the</strong> coming storm. Thomas Probert bowled as parsimoniously as he would all innings (of his 17 overs, 10 were maidens, finishing with 4-25). The ball was beating <strong>the</strong> bat, but this was to be expected first up.The question was what would happen in <strong>the</strong> following 10 overs, when <strong>the</strong> lacquer came off <strong>the</strong> ball and <strong>the</strong> pitch's initial liveliness died out. The answer was carnage. In 22 breathless overs and 90 elated minutes, Oxford found <strong>the</strong>mselves completely blown away - all but bowled out, and all but out of <strong>the</strong> match as a contest. 8 wickets fell: first Patel's off pole was sent cartwheeling by a delivery from Geoff Wilmot that swung in and nipped away, <strong>the</strong>n danger-man Stafford edged a Probert outswinger to third slip, where Tom Askew did <strong>the</strong> honours in total comfort. Number four Portz snicked through to keeper Gus Kennedy, and 11-0 had become 18-3. Fifteen minutes of playing and missing with no reward followed, as opener Stearn and captain Baillie attempted to reanchor <strong>the</strong> innings. A bowling change was needed, and it could not have reaped more immediate rewards.With his very first ball Dave Milodowski induced <strong>the</strong> circumspect Stearn to edge to an expectant Phil Ashton in <strong>the</strong> cordon. 24-4. Minutes later, Baillie, doubtless near-suicidal in <strong>the</strong> knowledge that all his recognised batsmen were back in <strong>the</strong> hutch after just 81 minutes of play, edged Probert to Ashton, who again made no mistake. Dave Milodowski <strong>the</strong>n had <strong>the</strong> lefthanded Hopton adjudged caught behind in slightly controversial circumstances, a fact that was of little concern to a rampant Cambridge team, who went into lunch buoyed by one fur<strong>the</strong>r wicket – Swann, brilliantly caught by a full-length Kennedy inches off <strong>the</strong> ground, as captain George Reynolds' plan of coming on to mop up <strong>the</strong> tail came to fruition. Soon after lunch Reynolds had Shakespeare LBW and Probert removed World's Unhappiest Man Kearns - who'd flinched and
Photo: Matt Bright 33