Hertfordshire Premier Cricket League
Countries United Kingdom
AdministratorHertfordshire Cricket Limited
Formatmixture of Limited Overs and Timed fixtures
First edition1974
Tournament formatLeague
Number of teams290 teams over 29 Divisions (incl Premier Division)
Current championPotters Bar CC
Most successfulRadlett CC (8 titles)
Websitehttps://www.hertsleague.co.uk/

Hertfordshire Premier 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.[1]

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,[2] 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.

Until 2022, the league used a format where the championship was not decided on league performance alone; the top four in the league table then played semi finals and a final to decide the champions. This format was discontinued for the 2023 season.

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.

Winners

Hertfordshire Cricket Competition 1968 to 1973

  • YearClub
    League Champions
    1968–1973
    1968 Tring Park
    1969 Berkhamsted
    1970 Royston
    1971 Berkhamsted
    1972 Bishop's Stortford
    1973 Old Finchleians

Hertfordshire Cricket League 1974 to 1999

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

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

Hertfordshire Cricket League from 2014

  • YearClub
    League Champions
    2014–2023
    2014 Radlett
    2015 Radlett
    2016 Welwyn Garden City
    2017 Welwyn Garden City
    2018 Welwyn Garden City
    2019 Potters Bar
    2020 no competition
    2021 Hertford
    2022 Radlett
    2023 Potters Bar

    Source:[1]

    Performance by season from 2015

    Key
    Gold Champions
    Blue Left League
    Red Relegated
    Performance by season, from 2015
    Club 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
    Bishop's Stortford 6 3 7 8 10 7 4
    Botany Bay 9
    Harpenden 3 4 5 9 6 3 3 2
    Hemel Hempstead Town 10
    Hertford 5 5 9 6 7 1 9 6
    Hoddesdon 6 10
    Letchworth Garden City 9 8 10
    Luton Town and Indians 10 9
    North Mymms 2 7 3 3 5 7 5 7
    Old Owens 8
    Potters Bar 8 8 6 4 1 8 2 1
    Radlett 1 2 4 5 2 4 1 3
    Reed 10
    Sawbridgeworth 7 10
    Shenley Village
    Totteridge Millhillians 6 2 2 4 2 4 5
    Welwyn Garden City 4 1 1 1 3 5 8 10
    West Herts 7 8 9 6 9
    References [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

      References

      1. 1 2 Hertfordshire Premier Cricket League Handbook 2021. Hertfordshire: Hertfordshire Premier Cricket League. 2021. p. 150.
      2. ↑ "Hertfordshire Cricket Clubs have voted to leave the Home Counties Premier League". watfordobserver.co.uk. Watford Observer, Newsquest Media Group Ltd. 1 November 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
      3. ↑ "ECB Premier Division - 2015".
      4. ↑ "ECB Premier Division - 2016".
      5. ↑ "ECB Premier Division - 2017".
      6. ↑ "ECB Premier Division - 2018".
      7. ↑ "ECB Premier Division - 2019".
      8. ↑ "ECB Premier Division - 2021".
      9. ↑ "ECB Premier Division - 2022".
      10. ↑ "ECB Premier Division - 2023".
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