Last updated: 14/05/08
MCC universities aiming to unearth the Freddy of tomorrow

There are many educational institutions that provide excellent sporting opportunities for their students, but few can match the package offered by the MCC Universities - the collective name for the six University Centres of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE’s) in the UK.

Introduced in October 2000 by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the UCCE’s are comprised of thirteen academic institutions, who aim to provide students with the best possible opportunity to fulfil their cricketing and academic potential.

Successful graduates include Essex captain Mark Pettini and England spin sensation Monty Panesar, ensuring MCC Lords and Universities manager Fraser Stewart is content with the scheme’s progress so far.

“There have been quite a few players who have come through the system and we’re very keen for more of our graduates to make the breakthrough into first-class cricket,” he said.

“It’s also a very good opportunity for young cricketers to get a degree behind them, which is very important as a relatively low percentage make it into the first-class game.”

The UCCE’s have been solely funded by the MCC since the beginning of the 2005 season, and each centre currently receives a basic entitlement of £70,000 a year, with an additional £100,000 available for the maintenance and upgrading of facilities.

The centres face each other in two-day and one-day matches in the first half of the summer, while each centre also gets the opportunity to play three fixtures against first-class counties, a privilege previously exclusive to students at the Cambridge and Oxford Universities.

“The ECB put the UCCE’s into the structure of first-class cricket, which has certainly helped the players to develop their game,” said Stewart.

“Cambridge and Oxford were involved for many years, but the UCCE’S have opened it up to a much broader academic spectrum, and provided more students with the chance to pit their wits against the professionals.”

The most successful UCCE in 2007 was the Cardiff/Glamorgan centre, who claimed the MCC Universities Championship for the first time, as well as the One-Day Challenge Trophy following a 14-run Duckworth-Lewis victory over Durham UCCE at Lords.

Coach Kevin Lyons is no stranger to the professional game following a successful career with Glamorgan, and he feels the MCC Universities offer a much-needed boost to the prospects of home-grown youngsters.

“The MCC invests a lot of money into this scheme, and it provides an excellent opportunity for young cricketers,” said Lyons.

“When I was at Glamorgan, the likes of Steve Watkin took much longer to make the breakthrough into the county and national side, as they weren’t able to work on their game and play regular cricket in the first half of the summer.

“This scheme allows youngsters to play frequent competitive cricket from April to June, as well as the opportunity to receive technical coaching in the winter.

“As a result, many of the players from the scheme are regular county players by the age of 21, and don’t find themselves stuck behind their fellow pros in terms of fitness and match practice."

“They still have to work very hard to make it in the game, but this scheme ensures they are given the best possible chance.”

The Cardiff/Glamorgan centre currently boasts four young bowlers who are contracted to county sides. Glamorgan captured the 19-year-old trio of Will Owen, Chris Ashling and Alex Jones, while 20-year-old Tom Allin became Ashley Giles’ first signing at Warwickshire, giving him the opportunity to work with legendary South African paceman Allan Donald.

However, Stewart believes more of the UCCE students deserve recognition, and has called on the county sides to provide further opportunities for the MCC’s young students.

“If they’re not good enough then fair enough, but they have to be given a chance,” he argued. “We strongly believe there is untapped talent within the scheme, and we are desperate for this to be recognised. We have introduced a scheme this year with two counties, to allow the best non-contracted players to go out on loan from July to September at the MCC’s expense.”

“It will effectively be like a summer contract for them, and will give more of our players the chance to prove themselves.”

by Michael Devine