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Bradford/Leeds UCCE started off their 2005 English cricket season against Northamptonshire with a bump - being defeated easily after two batting collapses. They then moved on to the Oval, where they took advantage of a badly depleted Surrey attack to score what for them is an historic victory against first-class opposition. Their last game of the season against first-class opposition saw them defeated by Yorkshire inside two playing days.

Northamptonshire v Bradford/Leeds UCCE (9-10 April)
Northamptonshire beat Bradford/Leeds UCCE by an innings and 62 runs

The first day of this game at Northampton saw Northamptonshire progress to 373 for 7 declared off only 69 overs. Kevin Innes top-scored with 80 off only 59 balls. The declaration left time for 23 more overs on the first day, in which Bradford/Leeds UCCE slumped to 60 for 5. The second day, Bradford/Leeds UCCE fared equally badly, being dismissed for 137. Northamptonshire chose to enforce the follow-on rather than opt for batting practice, and saw off Bradford/Leeds UCCE for 174 to win by an innings and 62 runs in two days. Spinners Monty Panesar and Jason Brown both got five wickets each in the match. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Surrey v Bradford/Leeds UCCE (20-22 April)
Bradford/Leeds UCCE beat Surrey by 4 wickets

The first day at the Oval went according to the script. Surrey piled on 433 for 7 declared, with Richard Clinton scoring a century, and then Bradford/Leeds UCCE got to 31 for 2 by stumps. Rikki Clarke twisted his ankle, and would not bowl again in the match. On the second day, the match changed. Bradford/Leeds UCCE, thanks to Adam Patel (54), James Duffy (64) and a defiant last wicket partnership of 86 between Tom Glover (42*) and Simon Crampton (42), took their score to 333, a deficit of 100. Even worse news for Surrey was a tear to Ian Salisbury's intercostal muscle which put him out of the rest of the game, and a re-aggravated hamstring injury to Martin Bicknell that stopped him bowling further in the match. Surrey then faltered with the bat, finishing the game on 132 for 6.

On the last day, Surrey were dismissed for 217 (although Ian Salisbury was absent hurt), with Glover taking 4 for 47. This left the students with a target of 318 runs off 70 overs. Very much to their credit, they went for it. Thomas Merilaht (56), Duffy (49 in 41 balls), Ryan Bradshaw (89* in 95 balls) and Mohammad Ali (27* off 22 balls) treated the sparse crowd to the sight of a UCCE team consistently finding the boundaries against a spread out field. Bradshaw hit 5 sixes and 8 fours in a match-winning innings. Whilst it was against a second-string Surrey attack (Clarke, Salisbury and Bicknell did not bowl) Bradford/Leeds UCCE were delighted to win with 2.1 overs remaining. (BBC scorecard)

Yorkshire v Bradford/Leeds UCCE (1-3 June)
Yorkshire beat Bradford/Leeds UCCE by 5 wickets

Bradford/Leeds UCCE's last game against first-class opposition of the season was against Yorkshire at Headingley. The first day was washed out by rain, before both teams subsided for low scores on the second day. First Bradford/Leeds UCCE were all out for 105 with Yorkshireman David Lucas taking 6 for 20 off his 9 overs. In reply Yorkshire managed only 151, despite Simon Guy adding 51 for the sixth wicket with Lucas, and there was still time for Bradford/Leeds to lose 3 wickets for 12 runs before close on the second day. On the third day there was some resistance from James Duffy (49, the highest score of the match) and Mohammed Ali (47), but the students could only make it to 161, leaving Yorkshire a target of 116. They lost 5 wickets in knocking off the runs. (Cricinfo scorecard)