Cheshire County Cricket League

The 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.

The league was founded in 1975, and the twelve founder member clubs were Alderley Edge, Bowdon, Bramhall, Brooklands, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Heaton Mersey, Macclesfield, Marple, Northwich, Warrington, and Winnington Park. The clubs were divided into two divisions in 1995, by which time there were 24 clubs in membership, and since 1999 they have been divided into three divisions. The league became an ECB Premier League in 1999.

The clubs competing in the 1st XI Premier Division for 2020 were intended to be: Alderley Edge, Cheadle, Chester Boughton Hall, Didsbury, Hyde, Nantwich, Neston, Oulton Park, Oxton, Timperley, Toft, and Widnes. The 2020 competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A replacement competition was organised for the later part of the season when cricket again became possible, but with the winners not to be regarded as official league champions.

League structure
The Cheshire County Cricket League covers the historic county of Cheshire, which includes the unitary authorities of Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Warrington Borough Council and the Borough of Halton, and the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It is the top tier of the pyramid structure of leagues in the area.

The league for 1st XI teams has a Premier and three lower divisions. There are currently 12 teams in each division. Along with the 1st XI divisions, the Cheshire County Cricket League runs concurrent leagues for 2nd and 3rd XIs. The 2nd league is a duplicate 1st XI league with 12 teams per division. The 3rd XI league plays ten teams per division. It has a premier division, and divisions 1 and 2; but below that the teams play within their geographical county areas as 3rd XI Division 3 West and 3rd XI Division 3 East. A 3rd XI Division 4 is also offered to clubs in the Greater Manchester region with additional XIs.

Clubs play in the Cheshire County Cricket League based on the performances of their 1st XIs. The 1st XI Premier Division relegates two clubs and get two promoted clubs from the 1st XI Division 1 every season. This two up, two down format is replicated throughout the County League. The bottom two clubs in 1st XI Division 3 are relegated from the County League to the 1st XI Division 1 of the Cheshire Cricket League, they are replaced with the two top promoted clubs from this feeder league.

Champions
 



 


 * * – denotes a shared title