North Sea Pro Series
 | |
| Countries |
 Netherlands Scotland |
|---|---|
| Administrator |
Cricket Scotland KNCB |
| Format |
50 overs 20 overs |
| First tournament | 2014 |
| Tournament format | Double round-robin |
| Current champion | Highlanders |
| Most successful | Highlanders (1 title) |
The North Sea Pro Series is a professional cricket league featuring teams from the Netherlands and Scotland, first contested in 2014. A joint venture between the Royal Dutch Cricket Board (KNCB) and Cricket Scotland, the Pro Series comprises a 50-over tournament, the North Sea Pro 50, and a 20-over tournament, the North Sea Pro 20.
The first fully professional league in either country, the competition has been described as "formulated to bridge the gap between club and international cricket for professional cricketers".[1] The inaugural season featured four franchises, two from the Netherlands and two from Scotland, and both the 50-over and 20-over tournaments were won by the Highlanders, a Scottish franchise.[2]
Background
Cricket Scotland and the KNCB are both associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and both the Dutch and Scottish national teams have played in multiple World Cups. Both teams currently have Twenty20 International (T20I) status, while Scotland also holds One Day International (ODI) status. The impetus for the creation of the Pro Series was the exclusion of the Dutch and Scottish national sides from the new Royal London One-Day Cup, which replaced the Friends Provident Trophy as the premier limited-overs competition in England and Wales. Andy Tennant, performance director for Cricket Scotland, described the Pro Series as "an ideal opportunity for us to stand on our own two feet and begin to develop a strong domestic professional competition for our best cricketers."[3]
The North Sea Pro Series, contested in May and early June during the 2014 season, does not overlap with the Scottish National Cricket League or the Dutch Topklasse, the top-level club competitions in each country.
Franchises
| Franchise | Home grounds | Captain (2014) | Coach (2014) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlanders | Titwood, Glasgow Nunholm, Dumfries | Craig Wallace |  Toby Bailey |
| Northern Hurricanes | Sportpark Het Schootsveld, Deventer Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht VRA Ground, Amstelveen | Peter Borren | n/a |
| Reivers | Forthill, Dundee Lochlands Park, Arbroath Raeburn Place, Edinburgh | Richie Berrington | Steven Knox |
| Southern Seafarers | Hazelaarweg, Rotterdam Sportpark Duivesteijn, Voorburg Sportpark Thurlede, Schiedam | Stephan Myburgh | n/a |
Grounds
2014 season
Squads
References
- ↑ William Dick (3 May 2014). "North Sea Pro Series bridging the gap" – The Herald. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ Bertus de Jong (11 June 2014). "Highlanders seal North-Sea double on wet weekend" – Cricket Europe. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ John Pennington (1 April 2014). "Dutch, Scottish Boards Launch North Sea Pro Series" – Cricket World. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ Batting and fielding for Highlanders, North Sea 20 Series 2014 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ Batting and fielding for North Holland Hurricanes, North Sea 20 Series 2014 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ Batting and fielding for Reivers, North Sea 20 Series 2014 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ Batting and fielding for South Holland Seafarers, North Sea 20 Series 2014 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
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