National League (cricket)
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The National League, currently sponsored as the NatWest Pro40 League, is the one-day cricket league for first class cricket counties in England. It was inaugurated in 1999, but was essentially the old Sunday League retitled to reflect the fact that large numbers of matches were now played on other days than Sunday. Unlike in first-class cricket, the counties involved incorporate nicknames into their official names for the National League. The Scottish national cricket team took part until the League was renamed in 2006 and the C & G Trophy was restructured. The Sunday League used to be played over 40 overs per innings. The matches in 2005 were played over 45 overs per innings, but for 2006 the competition returned to 40 overs per side. Initially, the competition was divided into two divisions, with three teams promoted and relegated from each. This was revised in 2006 so that two teams from the first division are relegated and two from the second division are promoted. A third promotion/relegation spot is negotiated in a play-off game between the team third from top in the second division and third from bottom team in the first.
Division 1 teams in 2006:
- Durham Dynamos
- Essex Eagles
- Glamorgan Dragons
- Lancashire Lightning
- Middlesex Crusaders
- Northamptonshire Steelbacks
- Nottinghamshire Outlaws
- Sussex Sharks
- Warwickshire Bears
Division 2 teams in 2006:
- Derbyshire Phantoms
- Kent Spitfires
- Gloucestershire Gladiators
- Hampshire Hawks
- Leicestershire Foxes
- Somerset Sabres
- Surrey Brown Caps
- Worcestershire Royals
- Yorkshire Phoenix
[edit] Champions
[edit] National League
NatWest Pro40
- 2006 Essex Eagles
totesport League
National League
- 2003 Surrey Lions
Norwich Union League
Norwich Union National League
- 2000 Gloucestershire Gladiators
CGU National League
- 1999 Lancashire Lightning
[edit] Sunday League
AXA League
- 1998 Lancashire
AXA Life League
- 1997 Warwickshire
AXA Equity & Law League
Refuge Assurance League
- 1992 Middlesex
- 1991 Nottinghamshire
- 1990 Derbyshire
- 1989 Lancashire
- 1988 Worcestershire
- 1987 Worcestershire
John Player Special League
John Player League
- 1983 Yorkshire
- 1982 Sussex
- 1981 Essex
- 1980 Warwickshire
- 1979 Somerset
- 1978 Hampshire
- 1977 Leicestershire
- 1976 Kent
- 1975 Hampshire
- 1974 Leicestershire
- 1973 Kent
- 1972 Kent
- 1971 Worcestershire
- 1970 Lancashire
John Player's County League
- 1969 Lancashire
[edit] Tournaments won
- Essex 5
- Kent 5
- Lancashire 5
- Glamorgan 3
- Hampshire 3
- Warwickshire 3
- Worcestershire 3
- Leicestershire 2
- Surrey 2
- Derbyshire 1
- Gloucestershire 1
- Middlesex 1
- Nottinghamshire 1
- Somerset 1
- Sussex 1
- Yorkshire 1
- Durham 0
- Northamptonshire 0
[edit] See also
- National League Division One in 2005
- National League Division Two in 2005
- County Championship - the domestic first class competition in England and Wales
- C&G Trophy - the one-day knock out competition
- Twenty20 Cup - the short-form competition
