Oxford University Cricket Club


Oxford University Cricket Club, which represents the University of Oxford, has always held first-class status since it was first recorded in 1827. It was classified as a List A team in 1973 only.
Home fixtures are played at the University Parks slightly northeast of Oxford city centre. The inaugural University Match between OUCC and Cambridge University Cricket Club was played in 1827 and is now the club's sole first-class fixture each season. Apart from this annual game, played in late June or early July, OUCC operates as part of the Oxford University Centre of Cricketing Excellence, which includes Oxford Brookes University. The UCCE was rebranded as Oxford MCC University prior to the 2010 season. The University Match is the only one in which a true OUCC team takes part: i.e., composed entirely of current Oxford students.
The earliest reference to cricket at Oxford is in 1673. OUCC made its known debut in the 1827 University Match. In terms of extant clubs being involved, this is the oldest major fixture in the world: i.e., although some inter-county fixtures are much older, none of the current county clubs were founded before 1839.
The Oxford University Centre of Cricketing Excellence team played 26 first-class matches from 2001 to 2009. As Oxford Marylebone Cricket Club University, the team has played sixteen first-class matches from 2010 to 2016.