County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2008 season, see County Cricket 2008.

Teams

First-class counties

The eighteen traditional English first-class counties are the main cricket teams in England. They are all named after (and originally represented) historic English counties. Although Glamorgan is a Welsh county, it is generally included when referring to the English first-class counties.

The English first-class counties are:

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

The full name of the cricket team is usually formed from the name of the county followed by the words County Cricket Club, which are often abbreviated to CCC.

Other first-class teams

When the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) plays against one of the first-class counties, the game is granted first-class status. The opening first-class game of an English county cricket season is traditionally played at Lord's between the MCC and the Champion County - the club that won the County Championship the previous year.

Four University Cricketing Centre of Excellence (UCCE) teams are also afforded first-class status when playing against a first-class county. They are:

• Cambridge UCCE
• Durham UCCE
• Loughborough UCCE
• Oxford UCCE

Most of the first-class counties play three-day games against university cricket teams in the early part of the English cricket season. This is partly because the start of the cricket season coincides with the end of the university academic year, and partly because the games act as pre-season warm-ups game for the county clubs. The university clubs involved are usually, but not exclusively, the four that are granted first-class status when playing one of the first-class county sides.

Minor counties

The minor counties are the cricketing counties of England that are not afforded first-class status.

Other teams

Some teams outside of the English counties have been allowed to take part in some English county cricket one-day competitions. They include:

• Ireland
• The Netherlands
• Scotland

First-class cricket

The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales. All of the first-class counties compete in a two-division league format.

One-day cricket

Friends Provident Trophy

The Friends Provident Trophy is a one-day cricket competition in county cricket. In the current format, the eighteen first-class counties, plus Scotland and Ireland, are split into two leagues of ten. Teams play each other in 50 over games. The top two teams from each league then compete in semi-finals and a final to decide the winner. The competition is played in the first half of the English cricket season.

Until 2006 , the competition was a straight knock-out competition involving thirty-two teams, including the minor counties. The competition was played through the whole English cricket season.

National League

The National League, currently sponsored as the NatWest Pro40 League, is the second one-day cricket competition in English county cricket. The eighteen first-class counties compete in a two-league structure, where two teams are promoted and relegated each season. Games are 40 overs per side. The competition takes place in the second half of the English cricket season.

Twenty20 cricket

The Twenty20 Cup is a Twenty20 cricket competition contested by the eighteen first-class counties. The game is limited to 20 overs per side, and the emphasis is on fast action.

Minor counties cricket

The minor counties compete in their own separate competitions. The Minor Counties Cricket Championship consists of two leagues, with the minor counties split geographically. The ten sides in each division play each other once in a three day game. The winners of the two leagues then play to decide a champion. The MCCA Knockout Trophy is a one-day knock-out competition, with a final at Lord's.

The County Championship is the domestic first class cricket competition in England and Wales. All but one of the teams are named after, and were originally representatives of, historic English counties, the exception being Glamorgan, which is a Welsh county.

History

The official County Championship was constituted in a meeting at Lord's Cricket Ground of MCC with representatives of the principal county clubs in December 1889. The new competition began in the 1890 season and at first featured Gloucestershire CCC, Kent CCC, Lancashire CCC, Middlesex CCC, Nottinghamshire CCC, Surrey CCC, Sussex CCC and Yorkshire CCC.

Until 1890, the concept of an unofficial championship existed whereby various claims would be made by or on behalf of a particular club as the Champion County, a term which now has the specific meaning of an unofficial claimant for the County Championship title prior to 1890. The term County Champions applies to a team that has won the official title since 1890.

The most usual means of claiming the unofficial title was by popular or press acclaim. There is evidence of such claims being made as early as the 1728 season and the reference found in that season implies that the concept was already in existence then.

In the 1870s, it became widely accepted that the side with fewest losses should be the champions. Various lists of unofficial champions have been compiled by cricket historians using reverse analysis, but they are not usually in complete agreement. An important year was 1873, when new player qualification rules came into force. Before this, it was quite common for a player to play for both the county of his birth and his county of residence during the course of a single season.

For information about the unofficial titles, see : Champion County.

The first official championship in 1890 required the teams to play 14 scheduled matches (i.e., playing each other twice, one game at "home" and one "away"). The final positions in 1890 were based on number of wins minus the number of losses. Later, a points system was introduced but it has been subject to several variations.

In the 1891 season, Somerset CCC competed in the championship and in 1895 Derbyshire CCC, Essex CCC, Hampshire CCC, Leicestershire CCC and Warwickshire CCC all joined; the rules were changed so each side had to play at least 16 matches per season. Until World War II, counties played differing numbers of matches and the points system had to be modified so that the ratio of points to finished games (games minus draws) decided the final positions.

In 1910 the system was modified again so that the order was based on ratio of matches won to matches played, whilst from 1911 to 1967 a variety of systems were used that generally relied on points for wins and for first innings leads in games left unfinished. Since 1968, the basis has been wins (increased from 10 points in 1968, to 12 in 1976, to 16 in 1981, then back down to 12 in 1999 and up to 14 in 2004) and "bonus points", which are earned for scoring a certain number of runs or taking a certain number of wickets in the first 130 overs of each first innings. In an effort to prevent early finishes, points have been awarded for draws since 1996.

Of the current 18 sides in County Cricket the remaining joined at the following dates:

• Worcestershire CCC in 1899
• Northamptonshire CCC in 1905
• Glamorgan CCC in 1921
• Durham CCC in 1992.

An invitation in 1921 to Buckinghamshire CCC was declined, due to lack of proper playing facilities, and an application by Devon CCC in 1948 to join was rejected.

All matches prior to 1988 were scheduled for three days, with the exception of 1919, when there was an experiment with two day matches. From 1988 to 1992 some matches were played over four days. From 1993 onwards, all matches have been scheduled for four days.

More information about the history of the County Championship can be found here

2008 County Championship

The County Championship is currently sponsored by financial services company Liverpool Victoria. The teams competing in each division in 2008 are as follows:

First division Durham County Cricket Club Hampshire County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club Lancashire County Cricket Club Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club Surrey County Cricket Club Sussex County Cricket Club Yorkshire County Cricket Club		Second division Derbyshire County Cricket Club Essex County Cricket Club Glamorgan County Cricket Club Gloucestershire County Cricket Club Leicestershire County Cricket Club Middlesex County Cricket Club Northamptonshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club Worcestershire County Cricket Club

The bottom two teams in the first division at the end of the season are relegated to the second division for next season. Likewise, the two top finishers from the second division are promoted to the first division for next season.

Doubts about the future of the competition

By 2008 many voices were heard questioning the future of the County Championship in the light of the shaky financial structure of many counties, poor attendances and the irresistible rise of Twenty20 cricket. Amongst those questioning the whole basis of the competition was Frank Keating of The Guardian who said on 15th April 2008:

"sheepishly stirs another summer of what has tragically become a drawn-out primeval charade, the English County Championship. For decade upon decade it was a cherished adornment of the summer sub-culture, certainly for my generation when heroes were giants and giants were locals. About a quarter of a century ago the championship began fraying and then in no time unravelling. It is now a pointless exercise, unwatched, unwanted, serviced by mostly blinkered, greedy chairman-bullied committees and played by mostly unknown foreign and second-rate mercenaries."

However doubts have been raised over many decades concerning the competition's viability, yet it still survives. The Changing Face of Cricket(1963)by Clarke and Batchelor, made similar predictions about County Cricket.

Despite suggestions that the format could change to 10 games per side in 3 six team regional groups with a knockout phase at the end of the season from 2010 in July 2008 the ECB decided to keep the current format till at least 2013.

Standings

Liverpool Victoria County Championship - Final Standings for the 2007 Season Division One Table.

Pos	County	Played	Points
1	Sussex	16	202
2	Durham	16	197½
3	Lancashire	16	190
4	Surrey	16	178
5	Hampshire	16	177
6	Yorkshire	16	175
7	Kent	16	153
8	Warwickshire	16	139
9	Worcestershire	16	95

Division Two Table.

Pos	County	Played	Points
1	Somerset	16	266
2	Nottinghamshire	16	214½
3	Middlesex	16	192½
4	Essex	16	182
5	Northamptonshire	16	176
6	Derbyshire	16	147
7	Gloucestershire	16	139½
8	Leicestershire	16	115
9	Glamorgan	16	92½

For live scores from all domestic cricket see here

Points system

The county championship works on a points system, the winner being the team with most points in the first division. The points are awarded as follows:

Win: 14 points + bonus points.
Tie: 7 points + bonus points.
Draw: 4 points + bonus points.
Loss: Bonus points.

Bonus points are collected for batting and bowling. These points can only be obtained from the first 130 overs of each team's first innings. The bonus points are retained regardless of the outcome of the match.

• Batting

200-249 runs: 1 point

250-299 runs: 2 points

300-349 runs: 3 points

350-399 runs: 4 points

400+ runs: 5 points

• Bowling

3-5 wickets taken: 1 point

6-8 wickets taken: 2 points

9-10 wickets taken: 3 points

Deductions

Occasionally, a team may have points deducted. These are normally small deductions, between 0.5 and 1 point. Deductions are most commonly handed out for slow over rates or poor pitches. However, in 2005, Surrey were awarded an 8 point penalty for ball tampering. At the end of the 2005 season, this deduction resulted in their relegation to the second division. Also, in 2007, Glamorgan were deducted 8 points for an unprepared wicket at Swansea.

Official county champions

The official championship began in the 1890 season and until 2000 there was a single division.

1890 Surrey 1891 Surrey 1892 Surrey 1893 Yorkshire 1894 Surrey 1895 Surrey 1896 Yorkshire 1897 Lancashire 1898 Yorkshire 1899 Surrey 1900 Yorkshire 1901 Yorkshire 1902 Yorkshire 1903 Middlesex 1904 Lancashire 1905 Yorkshire 1906 Kent 1907 Nottinghamshire 1908 Yorkshire 1909 Kent 1910 Kent 1911 Warwickshire 1912 Yorkshire 1913 Kent		1914 Surrey 1915-18 No championship - World War I 1919 Yorkshire 1920 Middlesex 1921 Middlesex 1922 Yorkshire 1923 Yorkshire 1924 Yorkshire 1925 Yorkshire 1926 Lancashire 1927 Lancashire 1928 Lancashire 1929 Nottinghamshire 1930 Lancashire 1931 Yorkshire 1932 Yorkshire 1933 Yorkshire 1934 Lancashire 1935 Yorkshire 1936 Derbyshire 1937 Yorkshire 1938 Yorkshire 1939 Yorkshire 1940-45 No championship - World War II 1946 Yorkshire 1947 Middlesex		1948 Glamorgan 1949 Middlesex/Yorkshire 1950 Lancashire/Surrey 1951 Warwickshire 1952 Surrey 1953 Surrey 1954 Surrey 1955 Surrey 1956 Surrey 1957 Surrey 1958 Surrey 1959 Yorkshire 1960 Yorkshire 1961 Hampshire 1962 Yorkshire 1963 Yorkshire 1964 Worcestershire 1965 Worcestershire 1966 Yorkshire 1967 Yorkshire 1968 Yorkshire 1969 Glamorgan 1970 Kent 1971 Surrey 1972 Warwickshire 1973 Hampshire		1974 Worcestershire 1975 Leicestershire 1976 Middlesex 1977 Kent/Middlesex 1978 Kent 1979 Essex 1980 Middlesex 1981 Nottinghamshire 1982 Middlesex 1983 Essex 1984 Essex 1985 Middlesex 1986 Essex 1987 Nottinghamshire 1988 Worcestershire 1989 Worcestershire 1990 Middlesex 1991 Essex 1992 Essex 1993 Middlesex 1994 Warwickshire 1995 Warwickshire 1996 Leicestershire 1997 Glamorgan 1998 Leicestershire 1999 Surrey

There have been two divisions since 2000.

Year	County Champions	Relegated from 1st Division	2nd Division Winners	Promoted from 2nd Division
2000	Surrey	Hampshire, Durham, Derbyshire	Northamptonshire	Essex, Glamorgan
2001	Yorkshire	Northamptonshire, Glamorgan, Essex	Sussex	Hampshire, Warwickshire
2002	Surrey	Hampshire, Somerset, Yorkshire	Essex	Middlesex, Nottinghamshire
2003	Sussex	Essex, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire	Worcestershire	Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire
2004	Warwickshire	Worcestershire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire	Nottinghamshire	Hampshire, Glamorgan
2005	Nottinghamshire	Surrey, Gloucestershire, Glamorgan	Lancashire	Durham, Yorkshire
2006	Sussex	Nottinghamshire, Middlesex	Surrey	Worcestershire
2007	Sussex	Warwickshire, Worcestershire	Somerset	Nottinghamshire

Number of wins by county 1890-2007

• Yorkshire 30 (plus 1 shared)
• Surrey 18 (plus 1 shared)
• Middlesex 10 (plus 2 shared)
• Lancashire 7 (plus 1 shared)
• Kent 6 (plus 1 shared)
• Essex 6
• Warwickshire 6
• Nottinghamshire 5
• Worcestershire 5
• Glamorgan 3
• Leicestershire 3
• Sussex 3
• Hampshire 2
• Derbyshire 1

The four current first class counties with no county championship titles are Durham, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire and Somerset. (Gloucestershire won some unofficial titles prior to 1890.)

Wooden spoons

Since the expansion of the Championship from 9 counties to 14 in 1895, the wooden spoon for finishing bottom has been 'won' by:

• Derbyshire 14
• Somerset 12
• Northamptonshire 11
• Glamorgan 10
• Nottinghamshire 8
• Sussex 8
• Gloucestershire 7
• Leicestershire 7
• Worcestershire 6
• Durham 5
• Hampshire 5
• Warwickshire 3
• Essex 2
• Kent 2
• Yorkshire 1

Lancashire, Middlesex and Surrey have never finished bottom. Leicestershire have shared last place twice, with Hampshire and Somerset.

Highest team scores

• 887 Yorkshire v Warwickshire Edgbaston, Birmingham 1896
• 863 Lancashire v Surrey The Foster's Oval, Kennington 1990
• 850-7d Somerset v Middlesex Taunton 2007
• 811 Surrey v Somerset Kennington Oval 1899
• 810-4d Warwickshire v Durham Edgbaston, Birmingham 1994
• 803-4d Kent v Essex Old County Ground, Brentwood 1934
• 801-8d Derbyshire v Somerset County Ground, Taunton 2007

Lowest team scores

• 12 Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire Spa Ground, Gloucester 1907
• 13 Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire Trent Bridge, Nottingham 1901
• 14 Surrey v Essex County Ground, Chelmsford 1983
• 15 Hampshire v Warwickshire Edgbaston, Birmingham 1922
• 16 Warwickshire v Kent Angel Ground, Tonbridge 1913
• 20 Sussex v Yorkshire The Circle, Hull 1922
• 20 Derbyshire v Yorkshire Bramall Lane, Sheffield 1939

Most runs against another team in one season

• 547 WG Grace Gloucestershire v Sussex 1896
• 537 MR Ramprakash Surrey v Northamptonshire 2006
• 534 G Boycott Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire 1983
• 531 CB Fry Sussex v Nottinghamshire 1905
• 527 RM Poore Hampshire v Somerset 1899
• 526 JG Langridge Sussex v Derbyshire 1949
• 507 H Sutcliffe Yorkshire v Essex 1932
• 502 C Washbrook Lancashire v Sussex 1947
• 501 BC Lara Warwickshire v Durham 1994

Sponsors

• 1977-1983 Schweppes
• 1984-1998 Britannic Assurance
• 1999-2000 AXA ppp Healthcare
• 2001 Cricinfo
• 2002-2005 Frizzell
• 2006-present Liverpool Victoria

See also

• Pro40
• Friends Provident Trophy
• Twenty20 Cup

External links

• Latest Division 1 Table (Cricinfo.com)
• Latest Division 2 Table (Cricinfo.com)