Northern Premier Cricket League Explained

Northern Premier Cricket League
Administrator:ECB
Cricket Format:Limited Overs
First:1951 (Founded)
2000 (ECB Premier League)
Tournament Format:League
Participants:12 (Division One)
Champions:Kendal CC
Most Successful:Blackpool CC (18)
Website:https://npcl.play-cricket.com/

The Northern Premier Cricket League is a cricket league in the North West of England and was designated as an ECB Premier League in 2000.[1] Prior to that date it was known as the Northern Cricket League.

Because the Northern Premier Cricket League had no formal feeder league and no automatic relegation and promotion, the ECB suggested on several occasions that its ECB Premier League status might be withdrawn. As from 2017, the Palace Shield became the Northern Premier League's feeder league and promotion and relegation between the two leagues took place for the first time at the end of the 2017 season.

History

The Northern Cricket League was founded on 10 November 1951,[2] in controversial circumstances.

Several of the clubs in the west of the area covered by the Ribblesdale League had been unhappy for some time about the format of that League. The League had a membership of 18 clubs which meant that only 5 opponents in the League were played against twice per season whilst the remainder were played against once. This group of clubs met secretly on 7 October 1951 and produced a handwritten document which stated:

The following Ribblesdale League clubs:- Blackpool, Chorley, Darwen, Fleetwood, Lancaster, Leyland, Morecambe, St Annes being duly authorised by their respective Committees are resolved from this meeting to request the Ribblesdale League to form a West Section, comprising the above named clubs together with Leyland Motors, Furness and Kendal. Failing agreement on the part of the Ribblesdale League the above eight clubs pledge themselves to resign forthwith from the Ribblesdale League and to create a new league, which would include an invitation to Leyland Motors, Furness, Kendal and Preston.[3]

At the AGM of the Ribblesdale League, held in Whalley on 10 November 1951, the motion was proposed to form West and East sections with the West section comprising Blackpool, Chorley, Darwen, Fleetwood, Lancaster, Leyland, Morecambe, and St Annes, plus two new clubs Furness and Kendal (both from the North Lancashire Cricket League) along with Leyland Motors if they wished to play in the West section. After discussion, the vote was 9–9 and was defeated on the casting vote of the President who had earlier expressed distaste at the way the western clubs had acted.[4]

The eight clubs duly resigned from the Ribblesdale League, as did Leyland Motors, and representatives of these clubs along with those of Furness and Kendal then met at the Swan Hotel in Whalley where the Northern Cricket League was formed. Preston Cricket Club were invited to join the new league as the twelfth team. The invitation was accepted but they remained in the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition for one further year before participating in the Northern Cricket League's second season in 1953.

Furness left the league after the 1958 season to be replaced by Netherfield, but there were to be no further changes to the membership until Barrow joined the league in 2004. More recent changes in the membership can be seen below. Leyland merged with lower level club BTR in 2000 and adopted the name Leyland and Farington, while Leyland Motors were known as Leyland DAF between 1991 and 2000. Founder members Darwen left the league after the 2016 season. In 2017 promotion and relegation was agreed between the Northern League and Palace Shield and at the end of the season Garstang and Fulwood & Broughton replaced Lancaster and Kendal. For the 2023 season, Fleetwood re-joined the Northern League as Palace Shield champions, alongside Palace Shield runners-up and Northern League newcomers Eccleston with Lancaster and Vernon Carus going in the opposition direction and both returning to the Palace Shield.

Winners

source.

Division One performance by season from 2000

Key
GoldChampions
BlueLeft League
RedRelegated
Performance by season, from 2000
Club 200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
Barrow11812996282257410712
Blackpool535127310103755911142413125
Carnforth 9121112121114
Chorley32675913117314313712955571062
Darwen 25113433811477103311
Eccleston12
Fleetwood710910177131310101415623794126
Fulwood & Broughton1058310
Garstang62513
Kendal84446524281194871281110691
Lancashire Colts 91010129
Lancaster912118121358121371211314101312211
Leyland 7691231251341788
Leyland & Farington 1091011131114
Leyland Motors 1111129101011
Longridge6474
Morecambe472546124566841011291111
Netherfield11332246148459886128357
Penrith1161068111011
Preston1288681285102131361313137812
St Annes6672916151311264119239949
Vernon Carus12
References[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/non-first-class/premier-leagues/premier-leagues,1443,BP.html List of ECB Premier Leagues
  2. Web site: Northern Cricket League archive . northerncricketleague.org . NPCL . 2022-11-11.
  3. Web site: The beginnings of the Northern Cricket League . northerncricketleague.org . NPCL . 2022-11-11.
  4. Web site: Ribblesdale Cricket League . ribblesdaleleague.co.uk . RCL . 2022-11-11.
  5. Web site: 2000 League Table.
  6. Web site: 2001 League Table.
  7. Web site: 2002 League Table.
  8. Web site: Division One - 2003.
  9. Web site: Division One - 2004.
  10. Web site: Division One - 2005.
  11. Web site: Division One - 2006.
  12. Web site: Division One - 2007.
  13. Web site: Division One - 2008.
  14. Web site: Division One - 2009.
  15. Web site: Division One - 2010.
  16. Web site: Division One - 2011.
  17. Web site: Division One - 2012.
  18. Web site: Division One - 2013.
  19. Web site: Division One - 2014.
  20. Web site: Division One - 2015.
  21. Web site: Division One - 2016.
  22. Web site: Division One - 2017.
  23. Web site: Division One - 2018.
  24. Web site: Division One - 2019.
  25. Web site: Division One - 2020.
  26. Web site: Division One - 2021.
  27. Web site: Division One - 2022.
  28. Web site: Division One - 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Northern Premier Cricket League".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.