National Counties Cricket Championship

Cricket competition in England and Wales

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Cricket tournament

NCCA 3 Day ChampionshipAdministrator| England and Wales Cricket Board

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First edition| 1895
Tournament format| two ten-team divisions
home and away in 3-day matches.
Number of teams| 20
Current champion| Berkshire County Cricket Club/Staffordshire
Most successful| Staffordshire
(14 titles)

The NCCA 3 Day Championship or National County Championship is a season-long competition in England and Wales that is contested by the members of the National Counties Cricket Association (NCCA), the so-called national counties (previously called the minor counties) that do not have first-class status.

## History

[edit]

The competition began in 1895, with the Worcestershire honorary secretary Paul Foley being influential in its creation.[1] It has been contested annually ever since apart from the two World War periods, and cancellation in 2020 due to COVID-19.[2] From 2014 to 2019 the tournament was known as the Unicorns Championship.

Four clubs which used to play in the Minor Counties Championship have been granted first-class status – Worcestershire in 1899; Northamptonshire in 1905; Glamorgan in 1921 and Durham in 1992.

Until 1959, when the Second XI Championship was founded, most second XIs of the first-class counties used to contest the Minor Counties. A few continued to do so and the last to withdraw was Somerset 2nd XI after the 1987 season.

Until 1983 all clubs competed in a single league. Teams played varying numbers of matches and did not play all other counties, so the table was ranked according to average points gained per match. The team with the highest average won the championship, except in a year when the top two counties had not played each other. In this case the second-placed team in the table had the right to challenge the leaders to a match to decide the championship. The second-placed team had to win this Challenge Match to take the title, with the league leaders being declared champions if they won or the game was drawn. Since 1983, the clubs have been split into an Eastern and a Western Division. The winners of the two divisions play each other in a match at the end of the season to determine which will be the Champions.

At present, there are twenty clubs involved. Nineteen represent English counties and the other is a Wales team that represents all the Welsh counties except Glamorgan. For details, see Minor counties of English cricket.

## List of Minor Counties/National Counties Champions

[edit]

* 1895 Shared title.
\- Durham,
\- Norfolk,
\- Worcestershire
* 1896 Worcestershire
* 1897 Worcestershire
* 1898 Worcestershire
* 1899 Shared title
\- Northamptonshire,
\- Buckinghamshire
* 1900 Shared title
\- Durham,
\- Glamorgan,
\- Northamptonshire
* 1901 Durham
* 1902 Wiltshire
* 1903 Northamptonshire
* 1904 Northamptonshire
* 1905 Norfolk
* 1906 Staffordshire
* 1907 Lancashire II
* 1908 Staffordshire
* 1909 Wiltshire
* 1910 Norfolk
* 1911 Staffordshire
* 1912 Shared title
\- Staffordshire,
\- Norfolk
* 1913 Norfolk
* 1914 Staffordshire
* 1915 – 1919 not contested
* 1920 Staffordshire
* 1921 Staffordshire
* 1922 Buckinghamshire
* 1923 Buckinghamshire
* 1924 Berkshire

* 1925 Buckinghamshire
* 1926 Durham
* 1927 Staffordshire
* 1928 Berkshire
* 1929 Oxfordshire
* 1930 Durham
* 1931 Leicestershire II
* 1932 Buckinghamshire
* 1933 Yorkshire II
* 1934 Lancashire II
* 1935 Middlesex II
* 1936 Hertfordshire
* 1937 Lancashire II
* 1938 Buckinghamshire
* 1939 Surrey II
* 1940 – 1945 not contested
* 1946 Suffolk
* 1947 Yorkshire II
* 1948 Lancashire II
* 1949 Lancashire II
* 1950 Surrey II
* 1951 Kent II
* 1952 Buckinghamshire
* 1953 Berkshire
* 1954 Surrey II
* 1955 Surrey II
* 1956 Kent II
* 1957 Yorkshire II
* 1958 Yorkshire II
* 1959 Warwickshire II
* 1960 Lancashire II
* 1961 Somerset II
* 1962 Warwickshire II
* 1963 Cambridgeshire
* 1964 Lancashire II

* 1965 Somerset II
* 1966 Lincolnshire
* 1967 Cheshire
* 1968 Yorkshire II
* 1969 Buckinghamshire
* 1970 Bedfordshire
* 1971 Yorkshire II
* 1972 Bedfordshire
* 1973 Shropshire
* 1974 Oxfordshire
* 1975 Hertfordshire
* 1976 Durham
* 1977 Suffolk
* 1978 Devon
* 1979 Suffolk
* 1980 Durham
* 1981 Durham
* 1982 Oxfordshire
* 1983 Hertfordshire
* 1984 Durham
* 1985 Cheshire
* 1986 Cumberland
* 1987 Buckinghamshire
* 1988 Cheshire
* 1989 Oxfordshire
* 1990 Hertfordshire
* 1991 Staffordshire
* 1992 Staffordshire
* 1993 Staffordshire
* 1994 Devon
* 1995 Devon
* 1996 Devon
* 1997 Devon
* 1998 Staffordshire
* 1999 Cumberland

* 2000 Dorset
* 2001 shared title
\- Cheshire,
\- Lincolnshire
* 2002 shared title
\- Herefordshire,
\- Norfolk
* 2003 Lincolnshire
* 2004 shared title
\- Bedfordshire,
\- Devon
* 2005 shared title
\- Cheshire,
\- Suffolk
* 2006 Devon
* 2007 Cheshire
* 2008 Berkshire
* 2009 Buckinghamshire
* 2010 Dorset
* 2011 Devon
* 2012 Cornwall
* 2013 Cheshire
* 2014 Staffordshire
* 2015 Cumberland
* 2016 Berkshire
* 2017 Berkshire
* 2018 Berkshire
* 2019 Berkshire
* 2020 not contested
* 2021 Oxfordshire
* 2022 Berkshire
* 2023 Buckinghamshire
* 2024 shared title
\- Berkshire,
\- Staffordshire

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### Finals summary

[edit]

In 1983, the then minor counties were divided into a Western Division and an Eastern Division, the winners of each division meeting in a final to decide the overall winner. From 1983 to 1993, the Championship was decided by a 55-over limited overs match. From 1994, the final was decided by a two-day, two-innings match with certain restrictions on the first innings, and from 1999 the final has been a three-day, two-innings match and only an outright result has decided the Championship.

Year  | Western Division  | Eastern Division  | Venue  | Result

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1983 | Buckinghamshire | Hertfordshire | New Road, Worcester | Hertfordshire won by 2 wickets
1984 | Cheshire | Durham | New Road, Worcester | Durham won by 6 wickets
1985 | Cheshire | Suffolk | New Road, Worcester | Cheshire won by 58 runs
1986 | Oxfordshire | Cumberland | New Road, Worcester | Cumberland won by 2 wickets
1987 | Buckinghamshire | Cambridgeshire | New Road, Worcester | Buckinghamshire won by losing fewer wickets
1988 | Cheshire | Cambridgeshire | New Road, Worcester | Cheshire won by 13 runs
1989 | Oxfordshire | Hertfordshire | New Road, Worcester | Oxfordshire won by 7 wickets
1990 | Berkshire | Hertfordshire | Wardown Park, Luton | Hertfordshire won by 7 wickets
1991 | Oxfordshire | Staffordshire | Wardown Park, Luton | Staffordshire won by 10 wickets
1992 | Devon | Staffordshire | New Road, Worcester | Staffordshire won by 79 runs
1993 | Cheshire | Staffordshire | New Road, Worcester | Staffordshire won by 5 wickets
1994 | Devon | Cambridgeshire | New Road, Worcester | Drawn (Devon won on 1st innings points)
1995 | Devon | Lincolnshire | New Road, Worcester | Devon won by 57 runs (single-innings match)
1996 | Devon | Norfolk | The Maer Ground, Exmouth | Devon by 168 runs
1997 | Devon | Bedfordshire | Wardown Park, Luton | Drawn (Devon won on faster scoring rate)
1998 | Dorset | Staffordshire | Dean Park, Bournemouth | Drawn (Staffordshire won on qualifying record)
1999 | Dorset | Cumberland | Parkside Road, Kendal | Cumberland won by 6 wickets
2000 | Dorset | Cumberland | Kinson Park Road, Bournemouth | Dorset won by 5 wickets
2001 | Cheshire | Lincolnshire | Gorse Lane, Grantham | Drawn (title shared)
2002 | Herefordshire | Norfolk | Mortimer Park, Kingsland | Drawn (title shared)
2003 | Devon | Lincolnshire | Sports Ground, Cleethorpes | Lincolnshire won by 8 wickets
2004 | Devon | Bedfordshire | The Maer Ground, Exmouth | Drawn (title shared)
2005 | Cheshire | Suffolk | Ransomes and Reavell Sports Club Ground, Ipswich | Drawn (title shared)
2006 | Devon | Buckinghamshire | The Maer Ground, Exmouth | Devon won by 180 runs
2007 | Cheshire | Northumberland | Osborne Avenue, Jesmond | Cheshire won by an innings and 4 runs
2008 | Berkshire | Lincolnshire | Enborne Lodge, Newbury | Berkshire won by 8 wickets
2009 | Cheshire | Buckinghamshire | Upton Court Road, Slough | Buckinghamshire won by 117 runs
2010 | Dorset | Lincolnshire | Dean Park, Bournemouth | Dorset won by 135 runs
2011 | Devon | Cambridgeshire | The Avenue Sports Club Ground, March | Devon won by 169 runs
2012 | Cornwall | Buckinghamshire | Boscawen Park, Truro | Cornwall won by 150 runs
2013 | Cheshire | Cambridgeshire | Harecroft Road, Wisbech | Cheshire won by 129 runs
2014 | Wiltshire | Staffordshire | Salisbury and South Wiltshire Sports Club, Salisbury | Staffordshire won by 28 runs
2015 | Oxfordshire | Cumberland | Edenside, Carlisle | Cumberland won by 10 wickets
2016 | Berkshire | Lincolnshire | Sir Paul Getty's Ground, Wormsley | Berkshire won by 28 runs
2017 | Berkshire | Lincolnshire | Banbury Cricket Club Ground, Bodicote | Berkshire won by 6 wickets
2018 | Berkshire | Lincolnshire | Banbury Cricket Club Ground, Bodicote | Berkshire won by an innings and 32 runs
2019 | Berkshire | Staffordshire | Banbury Cricket Club Ground, Bodicote | Berkshire won by 1 wicket
2021 | Oxfordshire | Suffolk | Tring Park Cricket Club Ground | Oxfordshire won by 178 runs
2022 | Berkshire | Lincolnshire | West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club Ground, West Bromwich | Berkshire won on first innings lead
2023 | Buckinghamshire | Devon | West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club Ground, West Bromwich | Buckinghamshire won by 550 runs
2024 | Berkshire | Staffordshire | West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club Ground, West Bromwich | Drawn (title shared)

### Performance by county

[edit]

* Bold denotes the current 20 National Counties.

Club  | Titles  | National Counties Championship-winning seasons

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Staffordshire | 12 + 2 shared | 1906, 1908, 1911, 1912 (shared), 1914, 1920, 1921, 1927, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2014, 2024 (shared)
Buckinghamshire | 10 + 1 shared | 1899 (shared), 1922, 1923, 1925, 1932, 1938, 1952, 1969, 1987, 2009, 2023
Berkshire | 9 + 1 shared | 1924, 1928, 1953, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 (shared)
Durham | 7 + 2 shared | 1895 (shared), 1900 (shared), 1901, 1926, 1930, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1984
Devon | 7 + 1 shared | 1978, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004 (shared), 2006, 2011
Lancashire II | 7 | 1907, 1934, 1937, 1948, 1949, 1960, 1964
Cheshire | 5 + 2 shared | 1967, 1985, 1988, 2001 (shared), 2005 (shared), 2007, 2013
Yorkshire II | 6 | 1933, 1947, 1957, 1958, 1968, 1971
Norfolk | 3 + 3 shared | 1895 (shared), 1905, 1910, 1912 (shared), 1913, 2002 (shared)
Oxfordshire | 5 | 1929, 1974, 1982, 1989, 2021
Hertfordshire | 4 | 1936, 1975, 1983, 1990
Surrey II | 4 | 1939, 1950, 1954, 1955
Suffolk | 3 + 1 shared | 1946, 1977, 1979, 2005 (shared)
Worcestershire | 3 + 1 shared | 1895 (shared), 1896, 1897, 1898
Northamptonshire | 2 + 2 shared | 1899 (shared), 1900 (shared), 1903, 1904
Cumberland | 3 | 1986, 1999, 2015
Bedfordshire | 2 + 1 shared | 1970, 1972 2004 (shared)
Lincolnshire | 2 + 1 shared | 1966, 2001 (shared), 2003
Dorset | 2 | 2000, 2010
Kent II | 2 | 1951, 1956
Somerset II | 2 | 1961, 1965
Warwickshire II | 2 | 1959, 1962
Wiltshire | 2 | 1902, 1909
Cambridgeshire | 1 | 1963
Cornwall | 1 | 2012
Leicestershire II | 1 | 1931
Middlesex II | 1 | 1935
Shropshire | 1 | 1973
Glamorgan | 0 + 1 shared | 1900 (shared)
Herefordshire | 0 + 1 shared | 2002 (shared)
Carmarthenshire | 0 |
Denbighshire | 0 |
Derbyshire II | 0 |
Essex II | 0 |
Glamorgan II | 0 |
Gloucestershire II | 0 |
Hampshire II | 0 |
Monmouthshire | 0 |
Northamptonshire II | 0 |
Northumberland | 0 |
Nottinghamshire II | 0 |
Sussex II | 0 |
Wales NCCC | 0 |
Worcestershire II | 0 |

## See also

[edit]

* National Counties of English and Welsh cricket
* Rowland Bowen, Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
* Playfair Cricket Annual
* Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "A brief history of Worcestershire". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
2. ^ "Lincolnshire CCC reveal plans following the cancellation of National Counties campaign". Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* National Counties Cricket Association Official Site
* 'Minor Counties' to become the National Counties Cricket Association from 2020

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Cricket in England and Wales

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)

National teams|

* Men
* Women
* England Lions
* Men's U-19
* Women's U-19

Teams|

| Men's First-Class Counties (18)|

* Derbyshire
* Durham
* Essex
* Glamorgan
* Gloucestershire
* Hampshire
* Kent
* Lancashire
* Leicestershire
* Middlesex
* Northamptonshire
* Nottinghamshire
* Somerset
* Surrey
* Sussex
* Warwickshire
* Worcestershire
* Yorkshire

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Men's National Counties (21)|

* Bedfordshire
* Berkshire
* Buckinghamshire
* Cambridgeshire
* Cheshire
* Cornwall
* Cumbria
* Devon
* Dorset
* Herefordshire
* Hertfordshire
* Huntingdonshire
* Lincolnshire
* Norfolk
* Northumberland
* Oxfordshire
* Shropshire
* Staffordshire
* Suffolk
* Wales National County
* Wiltshire

Other Men's First-Class Teams (1)|

* Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)

Women's Counties (34)|

* Berkshire
* Buckinghamshire
* Cambridgeshire
* Cornwall
* Cumbria
* Derbyshire
* Devon
* Dorset
* Durham
* Essex
* Glamorgan
* Gloucestershire
* Hampshire
* Hertfordshire
* Huntingdonshire
* Kent
* Lancashire
* Leicestershire and Rutland
* Lincolnshire
* Middlesex
* Norfolk
* Northamptonshire
* Nottinghamshire
* Oxfordshire
* Shropshire
* Somerset
* Staffordshire
* Suffolk
* Surrey
* Sussex
* Wales
* Warwickshire
* Wiltshire
* Worcestershire
* Yorkshire

The Hundred Teams (8)
(Men and Women)|

* Birmingham Phoenix
* London Spirit
* Manchester Originals
* Northern Superchargers
* Oval Invincibles
* Southern Brave
* Trent Rockets
* Welsh Fire

MCC Universities (6)|

* Cambridge UCCE
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* Leeds/Bradford UCCE
* Loughborough UCCE
* Oxford UCCE

Tournaments|

| First-class|

* County Championship
* Bob Willis Trophy (defunct)

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One Day|

* One-Day Cup (Men, Women)
* ECB 40 (defunct)
* Pro40 (defunct)
* Benson & Hedges Cup (defunct)
* Friends Provident Trophy (defunct)
* Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (defunct)
* Women's County Championship (defunct)

Twenty20|

* T20 Blast (Men, Women)
* Women's Twenty20 Cup
* Women's Cricket Super League (defunct)
* Charlotte Edwards Cup (defunct)

100 ball|

* The Hundred

Other|

* National Counties Championship
* NCCA Knockout Trophy
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Lists|

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Other|

* Timeline of cricket on UK television

* Category

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National Counties cricket in England and Wales

Competitions|

* National Counties Cricket Championship
* NCCA Knockout Trophy
* National Counties T20

Western Division|

* Berkshire
* Cheshire
* Cornwall
* Devon
* Dorset
* Herefordshire
* Oxfordshire
* Shropshire
* Wales National County
* Wiltshire

Eastern Division|

* Bedfordshire
* Buckinghamshire
* Cambridgeshire
* Cumbria
* Hertfordshire
* Lincolnshire
* Norfolk
* Northumberland
* Staffordshire
* Suffolk

Former National counties|

* Durham
* Glamorgan
* Northamptonshire
* Worcestershire

Defunct Minor counties|

* Carmarthenshire
* Channel Islands
* Denbighshire
* Monmouthshire

Other National counties|

* Huntingdonshire
* Isle of Wight

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