ECB Premier Leagues
Encyclopedia
In 1997 the ECB
published "Raising the Standard", the ECB Management Board Blueprint for the Future Playing Structure of cricket
. This introduced the concept of ECB Premier Leagues, designed to raise the playing standard of the top tier of club cricket and to bridge the gap between recreational cricket and the First Class
game. A national network of Premier Leagues was established, with funding from the ECB. The Leagues have to meet the published ECB assessment criteria and they receive accreditation on an annual basis.
Premier Leagues are expected to establish links to other leagues in order to allow ambitious clubs to aspire to Premier League status over time. Many were based on existing leagues although some new Regional Premier Leagues were created. The ECB decided that overseas players are allowed to play in this top tier of club cricket provided that there is only one overseas player in any Premier League club team, which mirrors the arrangements for overseas players in the club cricket structures in countries such as Australia
and South Africa
.
The Premier League clubs must show a strong commitment to junior cricket and the assessment criteria explicitly require strong junior sections that can provide cricket coaching and matches for the next generation of cricketers. There is also an increased emphasis on practice and the development of skills for the adult players in Premier League clubs.
ECB Premier Leagues
England and Wales Cricket Board
The England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
published "Raising the Standard", the ECB Management Board Blueprint for the Future Playing Structure of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. This introduced the concept of ECB Premier Leagues, designed to raise the playing standard of the top tier of club cricket and to bridge the gap between recreational cricket and the First Class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
game. A national network of Premier Leagues was established, with funding from the ECB. The Leagues have to meet the published ECB assessment criteria and they receive accreditation on an annual basis.
Premier Leagues are expected to establish links to other leagues in order to allow ambitious clubs to aspire to Premier League status over time. Many were based on existing leagues although some new Regional Premier Leagues were created. The ECB decided that overseas players are allowed to play in this top tier of club cricket provided that there is only one overseas player in any Premier League club team, which mirrors the arrangements for overseas players in the club cricket structures in countries such as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
The Premier League clubs must show a strong commitment to junior cricket and the assessment criteria explicitly require strong junior sections that can provide cricket coaching and matches for the next generation of cricketers. There is also an increased emphasis on practice and the development of skills for the adult players in Premier League clubs.
ECB Premier Leagues
- Birmingham and District Premier LeagueBirmingham and District Premier LeagueThe Birmingham and District Cricket League is the oldest club cricket league in the world, formed in 1888. Arguably the strongest club competition in the country, it was also the first ECB Premier League, being designated such in 1998.- Geography :...
- Cheshire County Cricket LeagueCheshire County Cricket LeagueThe Cheshire County Cricket League is a cricket league based in England. It is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the Cheshire area, and is a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:-External links:*...
- Cornwall Cricket LeagueCornwall Cricket LeagueThe Cornwall Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Cornwall, England, and is a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:...
- Derbyshire Premier Cricket LeagueDerbyshire Premier Cricket LeagueThe Derbyshire Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Derbyshire, England, and is a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:...
- Devon Cricket LeagueDevon Cricket LeagueThe Devon Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Devon, England, and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:...
- East Anglian Premier Cricket LeagueEast Anglian Premier Cricket LeagueThe East Anglian Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in East Anglia, England, and since 1999 has been a designated ECB Premier League...
- Essex Premier LeagueEssex Premier LeagueThe Essex Premier League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Essex, England. The league was founded in 1972, and since 1999 has been a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:-External links:* - official site...
- Home Counties Premier Cricket LeagueHome Counties Premier Cricket LeagueThe Home Counties Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the Home Counties of England, and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League...
- Kent Cricket LeagueKent Cricket LeagueThe Kent Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Kent, England. The league was founded in 1970, and since 1999 has been a designated ECB Premier League...
- Leicestershire Premier Cricket LeagueLeicestershire Premier Cricket LeagueThe Leicestershire Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Leicestershire, England, and since 2002 has been a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:-External links:* - Play-Cricket site...
- Lincolnshire Cricket Board Premier LeagueLincolnshire Cricket Board Premier LeagueThe Lincolnshire Cricket Board Premier League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Lincolnshire, England, and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:-External links:*...
- Liverpool and District Cricket CompetitionLiverpool and District Cricket CompetitionThe Liverpool and District Cricket Competition is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the Liverpool area and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League, one of two in Lancashire, the other being the Northern League....
- Middlesex County Cricket LeagueMiddlesex County Cricket LeagueThe Middlesex County Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Middlesex, England, and since 1999 has been a designated ECB Premier League...
- Northamptonshire Cricket LeagueNorthamptonshire Cricket LeagueThe Northamptonshire Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Northamptonshire, England, and since 1999 has been a designated ECB Premier League....
- North East Premier LeagueNorth East Premier LeagueThe North East Premier League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the North East of England, serving the counties of Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear...
- North Staffordshire and South Cheshire LeagueNorth Staffordshire and South Cheshire LeagueThe North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the North Staffordshire and South Cheshire area of England. Since 2001 it has been a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:-External links:...
- North Wales Premier Cricket LeagueNorth Wales Premier Cricket LeagueThe North Wales Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in North Wales, and since 2001 has been an accredited ECB Premier League.-Winners:...
- Northern Premier Cricket League
- Nottinghamshire Cricket Board Premier LeagueNottinghamshire Cricket Board Premier LeagueThe Nottinghamshire Cricket Board Premier League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Nottinghamshire, England, and is a designated ECB Premier League.It has two feeder leagues serving the North and South of the county:...
- South Wales Cricket LeagueSouth Wales Cricket LeagueThe South Wales Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in South Wales. The league was founded in 1999 as the South East Wales League, being renamed following its accreditation as an ECB Premier League in 2001....
- Southern Premier Cricket LeagueSouthern Premier Cricket LeagueThe Southern Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in central southern England, and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League.The league covers the counties of Dorset, Hampshire and South Wiltshire....
- Surrey ChampionshipSurrey ChampionshipThe Surrey Championship is a cricket organisation in Surrey running 6 divisions for 1st & 2nd XI cricket, 3 for 3rd XI and 1 for 4th XI. It is a designated ECB Premier League.-History:...
- Sussex Cricket LeagueSussex Cricket LeagueThe Sussex Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Sussex, England, and since 1999 the Premier Division has been a designated ECB Premier League. The league has nine divisions, four for 1st XI sides, four for 2nd XI sides and one for 3rd XI sides.-1st XI...
- West of England Premier LeagueWest of England Premier LeagueThe West of England Premier League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the West of England and is a designated ECB Premier League....
- Yorkshire ECB County Premier LeagueYorkshire ECB County Premier LeagueThe Yorkshire ECB County Premier League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Yorkshire, England, and since 1999 has been a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:-External links:* - official site* - Play-Cricket site...