There is something special about varsity sport in Edinburgh. Whether you are performing, or watching from the sidelines, you realise that you are part of a spectacle. It is the one fixture in the calendar that, without fail, will always be played. It determines who has the bragging rights between Edinburgh and St Andrews, and many consider it to be the pinnacle of sport at university.
The Varsity Cricket Match of 2024 lived up to said expectations. After a busy week of gathering new students, Edinburgh University Cricket Club (EUCC) took to Livingston to support our best men and women. It was a dreary morning, with rain looming; however, spirits were not dampened, thanks to the loudspeaker system and food truck on site. The turnout was incredible, with the EUCC committee working hard to promote the match to the club’s intake of new students.
So, despite the bitter autumn wind, the start of the women’s fixture was greeted with passionate applause as derby day began. On a green, bowling-friendly wicket, Edinburgh were unsurprisingly put into bat by St Andrews, yet they performed very impressively.
Special mentions must go to Emma Halliwell and Catherine Edwards, scorer of 38, who put on a mammoth partnership of 96. Halliwell has loved batting against St Andrews, scoring consecutive half centuries in her last two matches, and she followed it up here with an unbeaten 67, earning her the player of the match. Her contribution meant that by the end of their 20 overs, Edinburgh finished on 160-6 and looked in command.
This was underlined with an excellent fielding display as the St Andrews batters were no match for the bowling of Phoebe Beal (4-13) and Flora Corbin (3-16). Some dynamic run outs aided Edinburgh in their pursuit of victory, who bowled St Andrews out for 60, which meant that the home side won convincingly.
There was no repeat in the men’s fixture, who, despite their valiant efforts, fell 13 runs short of their target of 120. It was a frustrating result, given that the total felt within reach at half-time. This result, however, did not take away from what was a fantastic day out for EUCC. Many thanks must go to the staff at Livingston and the committee for making the event a success. So sadly, the Varsity Cricket of 2024 ended in a 1-1 draw, but we will be back next year, seeking the clean sweep.
Image provided by Ellie Small