Worcestershire County Cricket League

The Worcestershire County Cricket League (WCL) is an English club cricket league, and consists of club teams from Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and several other clubs from bordering counties.

History

The Worcestershire County Cricket League was created in 1999 as part of the new 'pyramid system' in English club cricket, and acts as a feeder league to the Birmingham and District Premier League. It was formed mainly as a merger between the old Worcestershire Clubs' League and the Autobag/Plumb Centre League. Other clubs came from the Midland Combined Counties League, the 3D Cricket PLJ League, and in the case of Herefordshire sides, the Marches Cricket League and the Willowsticks Three Counties Cricket League.

There is promotion and relegation and most divisions of the league operate on a two up/two down basis, although the feeder league status means that more than two sides may be relegated from Division 1, with knock-on effects on other divisions, if more than one Worcestershire or Herefordshire side is relegated from Birmingham League Division 3. Other exceptions to this are in Division 1 (where only the winner is promoted to the Birmingham and District Premier League), and Division 5 (no relegation). Clubs can only be promoted from Division 6 if they are able to field two XIs in the following season, and there is a space available in Division 5.

Winners of Division 1 of the Worcestershire County Cricket League, who have been promoted to the Birmingham and District Premier League, since 1999 are:

Divisional structure

For 2014 the Worcestershire County Cricket League is made up of the following divisions and clubs:

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3

Division 4

Division 5

From Division 1 down to Division 5, there are also separate 2nd XI Divisions, with the 4th XI of those sides above whose 3rd XIs play in the league, competing against other clubs' 2nd XIs. From 2006, Division 1 and 2 2nd XIs were promoted and relegated independently of their 1st XIs (and 4th XIs could be promoted or relegated independently of their 3rd XIs), from 2007 the same applied to Division 3, and from 2014 this will also apply to Division 4.

Division 1 – 2nd XI

Division 2 – 2nd XI

Division 3 – 2nd XI

Division 4 – 2nd XI

Division 5 – 2nd XI

Division 6

Division 7

Division 8

Division 9

Clubs from different counties

62 different clubs have sides in the league. As well as 47 Worcestershire clubs, there are 7 clubs from Herefordshire (Bartestree & Lugwardine, Bromyard, Burghill & Tillington, Canon Frome, Colwall, Ross-on-Wye, Wormelow), 4 from Shropshire (Alveley, Claverley, Cleobury Mortimer, Highley), 3 from Staffordshire (Enville, Himley, Old Hill), and 1 from Warwickshire (Harborne) in the league.

Famous players

53 current or ex-first-class cricketers have played in the Worcestershire County Cricket League in its short history, including 12 internationals:

Internationals, and club represented

England

New Zealand

West Indies

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Other First class players, and club(s) represented

England

Australia

South Africa

West Indies

Namibia

New Zealand

India

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Zimbabwe

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, November 01, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.