Worcestershire County Cricket League

The Worcestershire County Cricket League (WCL) is an English club cricket league, and consists of club teams primarily from Worcestershire and Herefordshire, as well as several other clubs from bordering counties 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 Division 1, with knock-on effects on other divisions, if more than one Worcestershire or Herefordshire side is relegated from Birmingham League Division 3. Other exceptions to this are in Division 1 (where only the winner is promoted to the Birmingham and District Premier League), and Division 4 (no relegation). Clubs can only be promoted from Division 5 if they are able to field two XIs in the following season, and there is a space available in Division 4.

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

Divisional structure

For 2018 the Worcestershire County Cricket League is made up of the following divisions and clubs:

Division 1

  • Bewdley
  • Burghill, Tillington & Weobley
  • Chaddesley Corbett
  • Colwall
  • Cookley
  • Evesham
  • Feckenham
  • Hagley
  • Pedmore
  • Stourport-on-Severn
  • Worcester
  • Worcester Nomads

Division 2

  • Bartestree & Lugwardine
  • Belbroughton
  • Bredon
  • Bromyard
  • Coombs Wood
  • Droitwich Spa
  • Enville
  • Himbleton
  • Kempsey
  • Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social
  • Old Vigornians
  • Wormelow

Division 3

  • Alvechurch & Hopwood
  • Avoncroft
  • Bromsgrove 3rd XI
  • Eastnor
  • Five Ways Old Edwardians
  • Harborne 3rd XI
  • Hanley Castle & Upton
  • Lye
  • Malvern
  • Martley
  • Netherton
  • Rushwick

Division 4

From Division 1 down to Division 4, there are also separate 2nd XI Divisions, with the 4th XI of those sides above whose 3rd XIs play 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.

Division 1 – 2nd XI

  • Bewdley
  • Colwall
  • Cookley
  • Coombs Wood
  • Droitwich Spa
  • Feckenham
  • Hagley
  • Harborne 4th XI
  • Pedmore
  • Stourport-on-Severn
  • Worcester
  • Worcester Nomads

Division 2 – 2nd XI

  • Bartestree & Lugwardine
  • Belbroughton
  • Bromsgrove 4th XI
  • Chaddesley Corbett
  • Enville
  • Evesham
  • Lye
  • Netherton
  • Old Vigornians
  • Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social
  • Rushwick
  • Wormelow

Division 3 – 2nd XI

  • Alvechurch & Hopwood
  • Astwood Bank 4th XI
  • Avoncroft
  • Bredon
  • Bromyard
  • Burghill, Tillington & Weobley
  • Eastnor
  • Five Ways Old Edwardians
  • Himbleton
  • Kempsey
  • Kidderminster 4th XI
  • Stourport-on-Severn 4th XI

Division 4 – 2nd XI

  • Alveley
  • Claverley
  • Halesowen 4th XI
  • Hallow Taverners
  • Hanley Castle & Upton
  • Himley 4th XI
  • Malvern
  • Martley
  • Romsley & Hunnington
  • Stourbridge 4th XI
  • Tenbury Wells
  • West Malvern

Division 5

Division 6

  • Birlingham
  • Enville 3rd XI
  • Old Elizabethans 3rd XI
  • Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social 3rd XI
  • Ombersley 3rd XI
  • Pershore 4th XI
  • Stone
  • Worcester 3rd XI

Division 7

  • Barnards Green 3rd XI
  • Bromyard 3rd XI
  • Droitwich Spa 4th XI
  • Hagley 3rd XI
  • Harborne 6th XI
  • Netherton 3rd XI
  • Old Elizabethans 4th XI
  • Worcester 4th XI

Division 8 North

  • Coombs Wood 3rd XI
  • Enville 4th XI
  • Five Ways Old Edwardians 3rd XI
  • Feckenham 3rd XI
  • Himley 5th XI
  • Old Halesonians
  • Pedmore 3rd XI
  • Redditch 4th XI

Division 8 South

  • Belbroughton 3rd XI
  • Bewdley 3rd XI
  • Bredon 3rd XI
  • Chaddesley Corbett 3rd XI
  • Cookley 3rd XI
  • Evesham 3rd XI
  • Rushwick 3rd XI
  • Worcester Nomads 3rd XI

Clubs from different counties

61 different clubs have sides in the league. As well as 48 Worcestershire clubs, there are 6 clubs from Herefordshire (Bartestree & Lugwardine, Bromyard, Burghill, Tillington & Weobley, Colwall, Eastnor, Wormelow), 3 from Shropshire (Alveley, Claverley, Highley), 3 from Staffordshire (Enville, Himley, Old Hill), and 1 from Warwickshire (Harborne) in the league.

Famous players

60 current or ex-first-class cricketers have played in the Worcestershire County Cricket League, including 13 internationals:

Internationals, and club represented

England

New Zealand

West Indies

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Zimbabwe

Other First class players, and club(s) represented

England

Australia

South Africa

  • Andre (Leon) Botha Pershore
  • Wesley Euley Droitwich Spa
  • Calvin Flowers Ombersley
  • Lundi Mbane Bromyard
  • Dillon Stanley Worcester Nomads

West Indies

Namibia

New Zealand

India

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Zimbabwe

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