All the things that they have done

The Parks cricket ground at Oxford, so magnificently set among the trees, is a glorious venue on a sunny day but this week, amidst cold breezes and drizzle under glowering skies, looked rather gloomy and anachronistic. Long gone are the days when county matches there, against strong university teams, attracted big crowds. These days, just a hardy handful of spectators bother, joined fleetingly for a few moments by joggers and dog-walkers as they pass. In 2010, England's selectors could find no more anonymous corner of English cricket in which to meet than The Parks, as they did yesterday.

A far cry from 1972 when Warwickshire took on the students there with a powerful side including a top five of Whitehouse, Abberley, Kanhai, MJK Smith and Amiss - and lost!
After the Bears sustained a first innings deficit, Kanhai (167 not out) and Smith (80) enabled captain AC Smith to set the students a target of 218 in just under three hours. They made it for the loss of eight wickets with two balls to spare.

In Oxford University's first innings, Michael Heal scored 124 not out. It proved to be his only first-class century.

Dank and subdued though the scene at the ground was this week, it will always be evocative to stand beside the little old pavilion, hitch up one's trousers, take in the sound of bat on ball and the sight of the trees shimmering along the pathways around the boundary and visualise all the true greats of the game who have played there.