Information on Loughborough

Loughborough cricket win Challenge Final at Lords

Posted on 28/12/2008

Loughborough University Website

Loughborough cricket win Challenge Final at Lords

The Loughborough University Cricket Centre of Excellence (UCCE) team has capped an outstanding season with victory at the MCC Challenge Final this week at Lords.

Batting first, the students overturned a determined Leeds/Bradford UCCE side on Monday (30 June) in London at the home of English cricket, winning by 66 runs.

Two solid partnerships through Tom Flowers and Arun Harinath, and later Jonny Hughes and Dan Pratt, provided the backbone for a Loughborough innings that saw surprise early exits for some of the University’s best.

A concerted comeback after the seventh wicket saw Loughborough approach a century to leave the field at 217-9.

Superior bowling by Loughborough’s Gavin Baker after the break kept Leeds/Bradford’s attack at bay, the 19-year-old taking five wickets in just eight overs. A James Moorhouse and Chris Prowting partnership provided the only threat to Loughborough, the pair clocking up 70 runs together.

With Leeds/Bradford unable to catch Loughborough’s lead the Midlanders won the title, taking the spoils on their first Final appearance in three years.

The MCC Challenge Final is the culmination of the MCC Universities Championships which involves the MCC’s six university-based centre of excellence programmes. Loughborough beat Durham, Oxford and Leeds/Bradford on their way to the final.

Monday saw a Loughborough double-header at Lords as the women’s UCCE side the only one in the country, took on a best of the rest team that included three England internationals and an Australian A player.

Loughborough captain Kayleigh Alsop was named player of the match, scoring 47 runs in partnership with Jasmine Titmus and bowler Vicky Ball was also on top form, taking two wickets in one over, one of which was England player Caroline Atkins. Despite a strong effort from Loughborough, the University side lost by four wickets.

Loughborough’s UCCE teams have had an outstanding season, both sides winning the British Universities Championships and the men adding the MCC Twenty20 Championship title to their honours.