Date-stamped : 18 Apr97 - 06:19 Smith retains old tradition By Neville Scott at Fenner`s First day of three: Derbys (115-1) trail Cambridge Univ (195) by 80 runs OXBRIDGE have brought England captains, the odd erudite spinner and cultured stroke-making batsmen. Kent-registered Ed Smith, 19, maintained the third of those traditions yesterday with a well-constructed 85 from 126 balls. What Oxbridge have lacked, almost totally, is pace. Since Trevor Bailey played his last Test in 1959, just two of their fast bowlers have gone on to represent England. In days when other nurseries - farm, factory and pit perhaps - could supply the speed this might not matter. Now, however, Derbyshire stand virtually alone in their depth of able, eligible seam. Perhaps no other single factor better explains England`s Test decline. Even without Dominic Cork and Andrew Harris, Derby`s seam quartet proved serviceable. Andy Hayhurst, making a debut for his third county, deservedly claimed a career-best three for 47. Only Smith had an answer. Adept at working the ball off his pads with impressive timing on a lifeless pitch, he saw four men fall at the other end before lunch. Phil DeFreitas swung the new ball in to have John Ratledge caught off inside edge and thigh pad and trap Anurag Singh leg before. Will House went to Hayhurst`s ninth ball for Derbyshire and Robin Jones`s rash drive, with lunch a delivery away, brought a superb catch at slip. When Smith`s concentration disappeared in a wild, back-foot slash, the freshmen Quentin Hughes and Steffan Jones, second XI players at Durham and Glamorgan last season, fell to successive Clarke googlies. Though a third debutant, Mark Dawson, was now joined by David Churton to add 47 sensible runs, he attempted a second run to Devon Malcolm on the boundary and went to a direct hit. By tea, the innings had closed. Cambridge`s new-ball seamers were then savaged. Dean Jones, opening after Kim Barnett developed a back twinge, charged to his fifty in 69 balls. He eventually top-edged a swipe at the first of the spinners, Jim Freeth, to be caught at short third man. Though Dawson contained well, Derbyshire will relish some abundant, comfortable runs today. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) ===============>Day 2 Clarke stakes claim for a regular place By Neville Scott at Fenner`s Second day of three: Cambridge Univ (195 & 104-6) trail Derbys (363-7 dec) by 64 runs THREE wickets with in-swing in six balls for promising left-armer Kevin Dean as Cambridge, batting again, plunged towards defeat, sealed an encouraging start for Derbyshire. Innings are hard to assess in university cricket where county batsmen exact a ritual entitlement to runs, but Vince Clarke`s all-round performance can hardly hinder his progress. After career-best bowling on Tuesday with varied leg breaks, he moved to a maiden fifty. Derbyshire progressed at four an over to a declaration at tea. Clarke arrived after two had gone early on and survived a chance on 14. On an otherwise wretched day for student fielding, Adrian Rollins, with a century beckoning, was run out after superb work by Will House. Only Glamorgan-registered Steffan Jones posed problems, benefiting from a pitch already showing wear. Certainly Phil de Freitas skittled one through to remove John Ratledge. There were few excuses for the five who swiftly followed. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) =========================>Day 3 Dean disciplines students By Neville Scott at Fenner`s Derbyshire (363-7 dec) bt Cambridge Univ (195 & 156) by an innings & 12 runs DESPITE a start delayed for 50 minutes by rain, Cambridge, six wickets down overnight, found resistance beyond lunch impossible. Last man Ed How "walked" for a bat-pad catch off the morning`s final scheduled ball, conveniently ending another one-sided contest. Derby-born Kevin Dean, one of at least 10 English fast left- armers to be found this year where once there were none, struck in the first over to claim his fourth wicket in the innings. The Jones boys, Rob and Steffan, past and present members of Glamorgan`s staff, held out in adding 41. Steffan, a Loughborough graduate, took a Devon Malcolm blow to the body without flinching, before he and Jim Freeth were ripped out in successive Malcolm overs. Freeth at least saw Rob Jones through to an elegant, second first-class fifty. As a Middle Eastern languages student back in the side after his study year abroad, Freeth presumably knows the Arabic for most things. Of the ball which bowled him, alas, he knew nothing at all. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)