Worcestershire County Cricket League
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The Worcestershire County Cricket League (WCL) is an English club cricket league, and consists of club teams primarily from Worcestershire, as well as several other clubs from bordering counties Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
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 the Premier Division, with knock-on effects on other divisions, if one or more Worcestershire (also Herefordshire in the past) side is relegated from Birmingham League Division 1. Other exceptions to this are in the Premier Division (where the winner is only promoted to the Birmingham and District Premier League if they finish in the top 2 out of the 4 feeder league champions, after a round-robin competition between the 4 sides at the end of the season).
In the four regionalised Division 8 leagues the winners of each league go into a four team playoff, with the top two teams going up to Division 7. The bottom side of each of the four regionalised Division 8 leagues is relegated, and replaced by the winners of the four regionalised Division 9 leagues (with no relegation from Division 9).
Winners of Division 1 of the Worcestershire County Cricket League, who have been promoted to the Birmingham and District Premier League, since 1999 are:
- 1999: Hagley
- 2000: Redditch
- 2001: Kington
- 2002: Old Elizabethans
- 2003: Evesham
- 2004: Pershore
- 2005: Ombersley
- 2006: Kington
- 2007: Brockhampton
- 2008: Eastnor
- 2009: Pershore
- 2010: Barnards Green
- 2011: Stourbridge
- 2012: Worcester Nomads
- 2013: Astwood Bank
- 2014: Worcester
- 2015: Pershore
- 2016: Worcester Nomads
- 2017: Redditch
- 2018: Bewdley* (no promotion)
- 2019: Astwood Bank (not promoted after finishing 3rd in Birmingham League playoffs)
- 2020: Pershore** (no promotion, won a shortened season played in a regional format followed by playoffs)
In 2018 there was no promotion from any of the four county feeder leagues due to the restructuring of the Birmingham & District Premier League.
In 2020 there was no promotion from any of the four county feeder leagues due to the shortened season resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
From 2019 onwards the winners of the Worcestershire County League's new Premier Division went into a round-robin playoff at the end of the season with the winners of the Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire leagues, with the top two sides out of the four being promoted to the Birmingham & District Premier League.
Divisional structure
From 1999 until 2018 from Division 1 down to Division 4 there were separate 2nd XI Divisions, with the 4th XI of those sides whose 3rd XIs played 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 also applied to Division 4. Clubs could only be promoted from Division 5 if they were able to field two XIs in the following season, and there was a space available in Division 4.
At the end of the 2018 season the league absorbed six 1st XIs that were relegated out of the Birmingham and District Premier League due to the league downsizing from 48 to 24 clubs, as well as 14 2nd XIs, due to the B&DPCL no longer holding a 2nd XI competition from 2019 onwards. The 1st XIs to be relegated were Astwood Bank, Old Elizabethans, Old Hill, Pershore, Redditch and Stourbridge. The 2nd XIs that were absorbed by the WCL were Astwood Bank, Barnards Green, Barnt Green, Brockhampton, Bromsgrove, Halesowen, Himley, Kidderminster, Old Elizabethans, Old Hill, Ombersley, Pershore, Redditch, and Stourbridge.
For the 2019 season the league adopted a 'linear structure' so that 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th XIs would all be part of the same 'ladder system', and theoretically a 2nd, 3rd or 4th XI etc. would be able to be promoted as far as the new WCL Premier Division (one division below the Birmingham and District Premier League).
For the 2021 season several of the league's lower divisions were regionalised, so that the top 8 divisions (Premier to Division 7) remained county wide, but Divisions 8 and 9 were regionalised into North, South, East and West divisions.
For 2021 the Worcestershire County Cricket League will be made up of the following divisions and clubs:
Premier Division
- Astwood Bank 1st XI
- Bewdley 1st XI
- Brockhampton 1st XI
- Bromyard 1st XI
- Colwall 1st XI
- Old Elizabethans 1st XI
- Old Hill 1st XI
- Pershore 1st XI
- Redditch 1st XI
- Stourbridge 1st XI
- Stourport-on-Severn 1st XI
- Worcester 1st XI
Division 1
- Belbroughton 1st XI
- Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 1st XI
- Chaddesley Corbett 1st XI
- Coombs Wood 1st XI
- Droitwich Spa 1st XI
- Feckenham 1st XI
- Hagley 1st XI
- Lye 1st XI
- Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social 1st XI
- Ombersley 2nd XI
- Pedmore 1st XI
- Worcester Nomads 1st XI
Division 2
- Astwood Bank 2nd XI
- Barnards Green 2nd XI
- Barnt Green 2nd XI
- Bredon 1st XI
- Bromsgrove 2nd XI
- Cookley 1st XI
- Enville 1st XI
- Halesowen 2nd XI
- Himbleton 1st XI
- Himley 2nd XI
- Kidderminster 2nd XI
- Netherton 1st XI
Division 3
- Alvechurch & Hopwood 1st XI
- Avoncroft 1st XI
- Bartestree & Lugwardine 1st XI
- Brockhampton 2nd XI
- Harborne 3rd XI
- Martley 1st XI
- Old Elizabethans 2nd XI
- Old Hill 2nd XI
- Old Vigornians 1st XI
- Redditch 2nd XI
- Rushwick 1st XI
- Worcester 2nd XI
Division 4
- Bewdley 2nd XI
- Bromsgrove 3rd XI
- Chaddesley Corbett 2nd XI
- Coombs Wood 2nd XI
- Eastnor 1st XI
- Five Ways Old Edwardians 1st XI
- Lye 2nd XI
- Netherton 2nd XI
- Pershore 2nd XI
- Romsley & Hunnington 1st XI
- Stourbridge 2nd XI
- Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI
Division 5
- Astwood Bank 3rd XI
- Claverley 1st XI
- Colwall 2nd XI
- Droitwich Spa 2nd XI
- Halesowen 3rd XI
- Hanley Castle & Upton 1st XI
- Harborne 4th XI
- Kempsey 1st XI
- Kidderminster 3rd XI
- Malvern 1st XI
- West Malvern 1st XI
- Worcester Nomads 2nd XI
Division 6
- Alveley 1st XI
- Barnt Green 3rd XI
- Belbroughton 2nd XI
- Bromyard 2nd XI
- Enville 2nd XI
- Hagley 2nd XI
- Himley 3rd XI
- Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social 2nd XI
- Old Vigornians 2nd XI
- Pedmore 2nd XI
- Stourbridge 3rd XI
- Stourport-on-Severn 3rd XI
Division 7
- Bartestree & Lugwardine 2nd XI
- Birlingham
- Bromsgrove 4th XI
- Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 2nd XI
- Cleobury Mortimer
- Cookley 2nd XI
- Cutnall Green
- Evesham
- Feckenham 2nd XI
- Kidderminster 4th XI
- Ombersley 3rd XI
- Rushwick 2nd XI
Division 8 (North)
- Alveley 2nd XI
- Claverley 2nd XI
- Enville 3rd XI
- Halesowen 4th XI
- Harborne 6th XI
- Himley 4th XI
- Netherton 3rd XI
- Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social 3rd XI
- Romsley & Hunnington 2nd XI
- Stourbridge 4th XI
Division 8 (East)
- Alvechurch & Hopwood 2nd XI
- Astwood Bank 4th XI
- Avoncroft 2nd XI
- Buffalo Barnstormers
- Cookhill 1st XI
- Five Ways Old Edwardians 2nd XI
- Harborne 5th XI
- Himbleton 2nd XI
- Old Halesonians 1st XI
- Redditch 3rd XI
Division 8 (South)
- Barnards Green 3rd XI
- Bosbury
- Bredon 2nd XI
- Hanley Castle & Upton 2nd XI
- Harvington
- Kempsey 2nd XI
- Malvern 2nd XI
- Old Elizabethans 3rd XI
- West Malvern 2nd XI
- Worcester 3rd XI
Division 8 (West)
- Bewdley 3rd XI
- Chaddesley Corbett 3rd XI
- Droitwich Spa 3rd XI
- Hagley 3rd XI
- Hallow Taverners
- Highley
- Martley 2nd XI
- Old Elizabethans 4th XI
- Stone
- Tenbury Wells 1st XI
Division 9 (North)
- Belbroughton 3rd XI
- Coombs Wood 3rd XI
- Halesowen 5th XI
- Himley 5th XI
- Lye 3rd XI
- Old Hill 3rd XI
- Pedmore 3rd XI
Division 9 (East)
- Astwood Bank 5th XI
- Cookhill 2nd XI
- Feckenham 3rd XI
- Five Ways Old Edwardians 3rd XI
- Himley 6th XI
- Old Halesonians 2nd XI
- Redditch 4th XI
Division 9 (South)
- Barnards Green 4th XI
- Bromyard 3rd XI
- Colwall 4th XI
- Eastnor 2nd XI
- Malvern 3rd XI
- Tenbury Wells 2nd XI
- Worcester Nomads 3rd XI
Division 9 (West)
- Avoncroft 3rd XI
- Bredon 3rd XI
- Droitwich Spa 4th XI
- Pershore 4th XI
- Rushwick 3rd XI
- Stourport-on-Severn 4th XI
- Worcester 4th XI
Clubs from different counties
For the 2021 season 64 different clubs will have sides in the league (148 sides in total across the 16 divisions). As well as 48 Worcestershire clubs, there are 7 clubs from Herefordshire (Bartestree & Lugwardine, Bosbury, Brockhampton, Bromyard, Burghill, Tillington & Weobley, Colwall, Eastnor), 4 from Shropshire (Alveley, Claverley, Cleobury Mortimer, Highley), 3 from Staffordshire (Enville, Himley, Old Hill), and 2 from Warwickshire (Buffalo Barnstormers, Harborne) in the league.
Famous players
80 First-Class and List A cricketers have played in the Worcestershire County Cricket League, including 15 internationals:
Internationals, and club represented
England
- Steve Davies Victoria & Blakeley Hall (later merged with Kidderminster to form Kidderminster Victoria CC from 2003-2015)
- Phil Newport Worcester Nomads
- Neal Radford Evesham
New Zealand
- Mark Craig Coombs Wood
- Daniel Flynn Barnards Green
West Indies
- Fabian Allen Worcester
- Andre Russell Barnards Green
Pakistan
- Humayun Farhat Stourbridge
- Imran Farhat Stourbridge
- Abdur Rauf Brockhampton
Sri Lanka
- Dinusha Fernando Bromyard
- Chamila Gamage also known as Chamila Gamage Lakshitha, Alvechurch & Hopwood
- Dharshana Gamage Kington
Zimbabwe
- Gus Mackay Barnt Green 3rd XI
Scotland
- Navdeep Poonia Old Hill
Other First Class and List A players, and club(s) represented
England
- Steve Adshead Astwood Bank
- Oliver Bailey Bromyard
- Christopher Boroughs Brockhampton
- James Burgoyne Coombs Wood, Pedmore
- Duncan Catterall Ombersley
- Nigel Cowley Himbleton
- Ben Cox Belbroughton
- Mark Hardinges Malvern
- Phil Harris Barnards Green
- Gavin Haynes Ombersley
- Josh Haynes Worcester Nomads
- Chris Harwood Colwall
- Richard Howitt Colwall
- Brett D'Oliveira Worcester Dominies & Guild
- Damian D'Oliveira Ombersley
- Stuart Lampitt Rushwick
- Alex Milton Worcester Nomads
- Ravi Nagra Old Hill
- Liam O'Driscoll Worcester Nomads
- Matthew Pardoe Belbroughton
- Harshad Patel Stourbridge
- Nitesh Patel Stourbridge
- Karl Pearson Luctonians, Bromyard
- Matthew Rawnsley Ombersley
- George Rhodes Barnards Green, Rushwick
- Nathan Round Coombs Wood
- Ben Stebbings Kington
- Naqaash Tahir Old Hill
- William Thomas Ombersley
- Josh Tongue Bromyard
- Steve Watkins Wormelow
- Gary Williams Bromyard
- Jonathan Wright Old Hill
Australia
- Michael Jeh Luctonians
- Craig Jones Kington
- Angus Robson Worcester Nomads
South Africa
- Andre (Leon) Botha Pershore
- Wesley Euley Droitwich Spa
- Calvin Flowers Ombersley
- Lundi Mbane Bromyard
- Dillon Stanley Worcester Nomads
West Indies
- Audley Alexander Stourbridge
- Sergio Fedee Stourbridge
- Mali Richards Stourbridge
New Zealand
- Jonothon Boult Barnards Green, Bewdley, Droitwich Spa
- Jayden Lennox Harvington
- Cole McConchie Monmouth
- Barry Rhodes Bromyard
India
- Neeraj Chawla Coombs Wood
- Sachin Khartade Worcester Nomads
- Shashi Ranjan Alvechurch & Hopwood
- Gagandeep Singh Redditch
Pakistan
- Ahmed Jamal Bromyard
- Atiq-ur-Rehman Eastnor
- Hamza Nadeem Stourbridge
- Khalid Mahmood Redditch
- Mahmood Malik Brockhampton
- Mohammad Ali Brockhampton
- Zahid Saeed Ombersley, Bromyard
Sri Lanka
- Lakshan Rodrigo Bromyard
Zimbabwe
- Clive Chadhani Worcester, Old Elizabethans, Burghill, Tillington & Weobley
- Innocent Kaia Worcester Nomads
- Leon Soma Droitwich Spa
- Jason Young Barnards Green
Namibia
- Xander Pitchers Worcester