Harlequins Cricket Club
Established	1852
Founders	Fellows of Merton College
First match
First-class matches	4 (1924–1928)

The Harlequins Cricket Club is a wandering cricket club formed in 1852 by fellows of Merton College, Oxford

Merton College, Oxford

Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...

. The club is made up exclusively of current and former Oxford University first-class cricketers and according to the rules of the club only a maximum of twenty members can be resident at the university at any one time. Once membership has been granted it is for life.

Notably, rather than play in the normal "whites" associated with cricket, until the end of the 19th century the team’s whole kit, and not just the cap, was coloured Oxford blue, maroon and buff.

In the 1920s the club played four first class fixtures, all between 1924 and 1928. Their final such game, against the West Indians at Eastbourne

The Saffrons

The Saffrons is a multi-purpose sports ground in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The ground is home to Eastbourne Cricket Club, Eastbourne Hockey Club and Eastbourne Town Football Club. There is also an astroturf pitch....

 in late August 1928, was notable for the 261 not out

Not out

In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...

 scored by John Knott in the second innings.

The club no longer plays fixtures considered first class, but does maintain annual fixtures against MCC

Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...

, Hurlingham Cricket Club, and Cambridge's counterpart club, the Quidnuncs Cricket Club, as well as the Oxford University CC.