Opener Nick Taylor ready to take Cambridge University challenge to Oxford in Four-Day Varsity Match at Fenner's

Friendships will be put to one side when Cambridge University bid to secure a cricketing series success over Oxford in the Four-Day Varsity Match tomorrow (Tuesday, July 2).

The longer format of the game closes out the series of clashes between the Blues, and it is delicately balanced this year.

After Cambridge’s last-ball success in the T20 game at Fenner’s, Oxford levelled matters in the one-day match at Lord’s.

It means that everything will be on the line at Cambridge’s Fenner’s from next Tuesday (July 2) in the four-day game.

When the time comes, the task will fall to 23-year-old Nick Taylor to get the Light Blues off to the best start possible at the top of the order.

It will pit the opening batsman against his former team-mates, in particular a close friend who is also Oxford’s opening bowler.

Taylor went to Oxford for four years, winning a Blue with the cricket team in 2017, before coming to Cambridge to do a PhD in plant sciences at Clare College.

“It will be fun to get out there and play against a lot of my old mates – highly competitive but it should be good fun,” said Taylor.

“I’m very good mates with the opening bowler, Toby Pettman. It will be a good contest, opening the batting and facing the first ball against him hopefully.

“I had a great four years at Oxford, but have been welcomed really well into the Cambridge side. I’m hoping we can put in strong performance and beat them here – I think it would be quite satisfying to beat my old side.”

Taylor, who plays for Cambridge Cricket Club in the East Anglian Premier League, has been in encouraging form in recent weeks and also had a good T20 season with the university.

With the series of varsity clashes all important, the former Waresley batsman is hoping to have got his eye in at a crucial time.

“The four-day game is a real test of the balance of the two sides so the winner next week will really feel that they’ve dominated the year’s cricket. There’s a lot riding on this game,” he said.

“It’s currently balanced at one-all. Home advantage seems to be quite strong over the last six or seven years so we’re hoping to bring that into next week to get a win.

“It’s pretty evenly-matched. Oxford lost a few players last year through graduation and Cambridge have picked up some strong freshers.

“Alex Moen has come in and scored some runs, Aaron Amin has taken wickets and scored runs, and some of the older guys have been in good form, like Karthik Suresh who has taken wickets against the counties in the MCCU games.

“We’re hoping to bring a bit of confidence next week.”

The Four-Day Varsity Match runs from Tuesday (July 2) to Friday (July 5).