Lord’s drops Oxford-Cambridge and Eton-Harrow matches – ending 200-year-old tradition

The centuries’ old tradition which pits Eton against Harrow and Oxford against Cambridge at the iconic Lords Cricket Ground each summer will be scrapped from next year, it has been announced. 

Eton v Harrow first began in 1805 – when Lord Byron played, despite his club foot – and is the longest-running regular fixture at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), while the first Oxbridge Varsity took place in 1827. 

But after almost 200 years, the MCC wants to widen the number of people who get to play on the hallowed turf, reports the Times, opting to stage more finals of competitions at all levels, as well as finding space for shortened versions of the game, such as The Hundred and Middlesex’s Twenty20 fixtures.

It comes after pressure from ‘anti-sexism’ campaigners who protested the Oxbridge Varsity last summer, demanding the women’s version take place alongside the men’s at the ‘Home of Cricket’. 

The traditional matches will now likely be played on school and university grounds in the future.  

Old boys from Eton and the other affected institutions, along with former MCC committee members, branded the move ‘disappointing’ and ‘saddening’. 

‘These decisions were not taken lightly,’ an MCC spokesman told the Times.

‘We want to extend playing opportunities, broadening the scope for cricketers to realise their ambition of playing at Lord’s.’

It comes after a group called Stump Out Sexism demanded the Oxbridge Varsity match be banned until they both agreed to put on a women’s game alongside the men’s.

They held a demonstration outside the Grace Gates before the match last year.

They said in a statement at the time: ‘The MCC have control over their own calendar and thus have the power to influence the parameters of fixture invitations and to raise the bar further.

‘We, therefore, ask the MCC to specify that the offer of next year’s Oxbridge Varsity match being played on the main ground is entirely conditional upon both the men’s and women’s teams being involved equally.

‘If the clubs continue to insist that any date should be exclusively for the men, the invitation must be revoked.’

The statement added: ‘This should not be an arrangement solely for next year, but rather for all future Oxbridge Varsity fixtures at Lord’s.’

Male Oxbridge students have battled it out on the famous ground since 1827.

But the women’s game has never been played at Lord’s, instead being played at grounds local to the two universities.  

This year, there will be Oxford v Cambridge Twenty20 matches for both men and women, held on the same day in June.

‘The universities will contest a double-header, with both the men’s and women’s matches taking place on the main ground for the first time,’ the MCC spokesman added.

But some members of the 18,500-strong MCC said they were upset by the news,  claiming they were not consulted on the change.

Cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, who has taken part in both events, told the Times: ‘I suppose the ‘antis’ will be cheering and old farts like me will be sad. 

‘It is inevitable with the way that society has moved.’

Oxford graduate Robert Griffiths QC, who was an MCC committee member for nearly 20 years, said he was ‘surprised and saddened’ by the development, adding that it was always believed the two fixtures were ’emblematic and symbolic in reflecting the traditions of the game.’

He added: ‘Maybe the committee should reconsider the game’s historic roots.. diversification does not mean you abandon the traditions of cricket.’

Charles Fry, a former chairman of the MCC, added: ‘I would prefer the club continued with history, as that is what makes Lord’s so special. 

‘Nobody spoke to me about it at all.’

Meanwhile John Barclay, a former captain of Eton and ex-MCC president, commented: ‘This is a disappointment but not a surprise and understandable. 

‘When I captained Eton in 1970, we did in fact play at Harrow owing to problems over the planned South Africa tour.’

Former England player Claire Taylor, the current head of the club’s committee, chose not to save the Eton V Harrow fixture despite its continued popularity – with it still managing to sell a reasonable number of seats each year.   

The Oxford v Cambridge Varsity, however, has seen a decline in quality over the past few decades and from 2001 the match has been replaced by two fixtures each year – a one-day match played at Lord’s and a four-day first-class fixture played in alternate years at Oxford or Cambridge. 

Lord’s is arguably the world’s most famous cricket ground and is widely referred to as the ‘Home of Cricket’.

Named after its founder, professional cricketer Thomas Lord, it was fist established in 1817 – though it has moved twice. 

It is owned by Marylebone Cricket, who are famous for deciding the rules of cricket.

But is also known as being slightly old fashioned and slow to move with the times.

Members still have to wear suits or tailored jackets with ties in the famous pavilion and there is a ban on fancy dress for spectators – which is unusual when compared to other grounds.