Hertfordshire Cricket League

The Hertfordshire Cricket League is a league cricket competition based in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Since 2015 it has been a designated ECB Premier League, the highest level of recreational club cricket in England and Wales.

History

League cricket in Hertfordshire began in 1968 with the forming of the Hertfordshire Cricket Competition. In 1974 the leading clubs broke away from the Competition and formed the Hertfordshire Cricket League, and then in 1994 the two tournaments once again merged under the name Hertfordshire Cricket League.

When the system of ECB Premier Leagues was introduced, it was decided that the Hertfordshire Cricket League together with the Cherwell Cricket League and Thames Valley Cricket League should become feeders to a newly formed Home Counties Premier Cricket League. Accordingly, between 2000 and 2013 the top Hertfordshire clubs played in that league and not in the Hertfordshire Cricket League.

Hertfordshire's relationship with the Home Counties Premier Cricket League was always uneasy, and in autumn 2013 the Hertfordshire clubs all resigned from the Home Counties Premier Cricket League (with the exception of Tring Park, who had not played in the Hertfordshire Cricket League since 1981, when they switched to the Thames Valley Cricket League). The Hertfordshire clubs then returned to the Hertfordshire Cricket League, which was awarded ECB Premier League status in time for the 2015 season. In a format which was unique among the ECB Premier Leagues until it was also adopted by Lincolnshire in 2019, the championship is not decided on league performance alone; the top four in the league table then play semi-finals and a final to decide the champions.

Although most of the league's member clubs are located within the borders of the county, teams from North London and Bedfordshire are also members, and in the past there have been member clubs from Buckinghamshire and Essex as well. The league is sponsored by Saracens Rugby Football Club.

The clubs competing in the Premier Division in 2020 were due to be: Harpenden, Hertford, Hoddesdon, North Mymms, Potters Bar, Radlett, Reed, Totteridge Millhillians, Welwyn Garden City, and West Herts. The 2020 competition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A replacement competition was organised for the later part of the season when cricket again became possible, but with the winners not to be regarded as official league champions.

Winners

Hertfordshire Cricket Competition 1968 to 1973

YearChampions
1968Tring Park
1969Berkhamsted
1970Royston
1971Berkhamsted
1972Bishop's Stortford
1973Old Finchleians

Hertfordshire Cricket League 1974 to 1999

YearChampions
1974Berkhamsted
1975Hertford
1976Hertford
1977Hertford
1978Hertford
1979Hertford
1980Watford Town
1981Bishop's Stortford
1982Watford Town
1983Cheshunt
1984Sawbridgeworth
1985Luton Town
1986Bishop's Stortford
1987Bishop's Stortford
1988Bishop's Stortford
1989Radlett
1990North Mymms
1991Radlett
1992North Mymms
1993Luton Town
1994St Albans
1995Radlett
1996Radlett
1997Radlett
1998Langleybury
1999Hemel Hempstead Town

Between 2000 and 2013 the leading Hertfordshire clubs played in the Home Counties Premier Cricket League.

Hertfordshire Cricket League from 2014

YearChampions
2014Radlett
2015Radlett
2016Welwyn Garden City
2017Welwyn Garden City
2018Welwyn Garden City
2019Potters Bar
2020not played because of COVID-19 pandemic

Source: [1]

Performance by season from 2015

Key
Gold Champions
Red Relegated
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Bishop's Stortford 6 3 7 8 10
Botany Bay 9
Harpenden 3 4 5 9 6
Hemel Hempstead Town 10
Hertford 5 5 9 6 7
Letchworth Garden City 9 8 10
Luton Town and Indians 10 9
North Mymms 2 7 3 3 5
Potters Bar 8 8 6 4 1
Radlett 1 2 4 5 2
Sawbridgeworth 7 10
Totteridge Millhillians 6 2 2 4
Welwyn Garden City 4 1 1 1 3
West Herts 7 8
[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]


References

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