County Championship
Administrator(s)	England and Wales Cricket Board
Cricket format	First-class
First tournament	1890
Tournament format(s)	round-robin
Total participants	18
Current champion	Sussex
Most successful	Yorkshire (30 titles)
Most runs	Jack Hobbs
Most wickets	Wilfred Rhodes (3,608)

The County Championship is the domestic first class cricket competition in the United Kingdom, mainly in England. 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. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. ... First-class cricket matches are those between international teams or the highest standard of domestic teams in which teams have two innings each. ... Sussex field against Derbyshire at Hove on 24 April 2005 The Arthur Gilligan stand at Hove The Pavilion at Hove Leaving the County Ground at Hove Sussex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county... Yorkshire County Cricket Club, who represent the historic county of Yorkshire, are one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Sir John Berry Jack Hobbs (born 16 December 1882 in Cambridge, England, died 21 December 1963 in Hove, Sussex) played cricket for Surrey and England. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Wilfred Rhodes (born October 29, 1877, North Moor, Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire; died July 8, 1973, Branksome Park, Poole) was one of the greatest cricketers of the twentieth century. ... First-class cricket matches are those between international teams or the highest standard of domestic teams in which teams have two innings each. ... This article is about the sport. ... The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. ... Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Welsh: ) is one of thirteen historic counties and former administrative counties of Wales. ... Wales has thirteen traditional counties (or vice counties). ...

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. The Pavilion The Grand Stand Match in progress The Media Centre at Lords Cricket Ground This memorial stone to Lord Harris is in the Harris Garden at Lords Lords Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in St Johns Wood in London, at grid reference TQ268827. ... Lords 2005 The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787, is a private members club and was the original governing body of cricket in England and across the world. ... The 1890 English cricket season was the first year the County Championship was officially held, which Surrey won after winning nine out of fourteen games, and the English cricket team, captained by WG Grace, won the Ashes series 2–0 with a third Test match abandoned. ... Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at The County Ground, Nevil Road, Bristol BS7 9EJ. Some home games are also played at Gloucester and Cheltenham College. ... Kent County Cricket Club is an English county cricket club based at Canterbury, Kent. ... Lancashire County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester, Lancashire. ... Middlesex County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club in England, named after the historic county of Middlesex which their home ground, Lords Cricket Ground in London, is located. ... The William Clarke stand at Nottinghamshires home ground, Trent Bridge. ... Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at The Oval in London. ... Sussex field against Derbyshire at Hove on 24 April 2005 The Arthur Gilligan stand at Hove The Pavilion at Hove Crowd leaves the County Ground at Hove Sussex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major counties which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county... Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ...

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 1891. The term County Champions applies to a team that has won the official title since 1890. The Champion County in English cricket is a team that was proclaimed as the unofficial county championship winner in any season before 1890, the official County Championship having been constituted in December 1889. ...

The most usual means of claiming the unoffical 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 infers that the concept was already in existence then. The overriding impression of the 1728 English cricket season is that teams of county strength were formed as the patrons sought stronger XIs to help them in the serious business of winning wagers. ...

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 for the first time player qualification rules came into force. Before this, it was quite common for a player to play for two or more counties during the course of a single season.

For information about the unofficial titles, see : Champion County. The Champion County in English cricket is a team that was proclaimed as the unofficial county championship winner in any season before 1890, the official County Championship having been constituted in December 1889. ...

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. Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club with headquarters at the County Cricket Ground, Taunton. ... Derbyshire County Cricket Club (Derbyshire CCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at the County Cricket Ground, previously known as the Racecourse Ground, in the city of Derby. ... -1... Hampshire County Cricket Club (HCCC) is a first-class cricket club based in the south of England. ... Leicestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Leicester. ... Warwickshire County Cricket Club is a cricket club (team) based at the County Ground, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England (Birmingham historically being part of Warwickshire). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

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. Worcestershire CCC logo Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... Northamptonshire Cricket Club is one of the 18 major counties which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... Glamorgan County Cricket Club was founded in 1888 and is a county cricket club. ... The Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Club (Durham CCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. ... Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Buckinghamshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. ... Devon County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Devon and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. ...

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.

A Competition in Crisis?

Ironically, despite being widely regarded as English Cricket's most prestigious domestic tournament, the County Championship has suffered in recent years from dwindling attendances, lack of media exposure (notably in the tabloid press) and a sizeable shift in interest and emphasis towards the limited overs game. Given the intense market forces now placed upon the sport, it remains a matter for speculation as to whether the County Championship can continue to survive for the greater part of the twenty-first century in its present format. A tabloid is a newspaper — especially in the United Kingdom — that uses the tabloid format, which is roughly 23½ by 14¾ inches per spread. ... The Melbourne Cricket Ground hosts an ODI match between Australia and India. ...

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:

As of 2006, the bottom two teams in the first division at the end of the season are demoted 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, giving them a chance to win the county championship. Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. ... Hampshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Hampshire. ... Kent County Cricket Club is an English county cricket club based at Canterbury, Kent. ... Lancashire County Cricket Club is one of the eighteen major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Lancashire. ... Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club with headquarters at the County Cricket Ground, Taunton. ... Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) is an English first-class cricket team, based at The Oval cricket ground in south London. ... Sussex field against Derbyshire at Hove on 24 April 2005 The Arthur Gilligan stand at Hove The Pavilion at Hove Leaving the County Ground at Hove Sussex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county... Yorkshire County Cricket Club, who represent the historic county of Yorkshire, are one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire. ... Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. ... Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire (Welsh: ). Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. ... Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is an English domestic first-class cricket club based at County Cricket Ground, Bristol. ... Grace Road cricket ground,Leicester. ... Middlesex County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club in England, named after the historic county of Middlesex in which their home ground, Lords Cricket Ground in London, is located. ... Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. ... Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. ... Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire. ...

Standings

Liverpool Victoria County Championship - Final Standings for the 2007 Season

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.
Tie: 7 points.
Draw: 4 points.
Loss: No points awarded.

Teams may also collect bonus points, 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 massive 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.

There have been two divisions since 2000. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

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: A wooden spoon is a mock or real award, usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition, but sometimes also to runners-up. ...

• 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.

Sponsors

• 1977-1983 Schweppes

• 1984-1998 Britannic Assurance

• 1999-2000 AXA ppp Healthcare

• 2001 Cricinfo

• 2002-2005 Frizzell

• 2006-present Liverpool Victoria

Cadbury-Schweppes plc (Cadbury Trebor Bassett) is a chocolate and beverage company with its headquarters in London, UK. Jacob Schweppe developed a method to make mineral water in Geneva, Switzerland in 1783. ... Resolution plc (LSE: RSL) is a UK insurance company headquartered in the City of London. ... Not to be confused with Sun Life Financial. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... The Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited was founded in 1843. ... The Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited was founded in 1843. ...

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

See also

Cricket Portal

• Pro40 - the one day league for English first class counties.
• Friends Provident Trophy - the one day knock out competition.
• Twenty20 Cup - the short-form competition.

Image File history File links Portal. ... // The National League, currently sponsored as the NatWest Pro40 League and formerly the totesport League, is the one-day cricket league for first class cricket counties in England. ... The Friends Provident Trophy is a one day cricket competition in the United Kingdom. ... The Twenty20 Cup is a cricket competition for English and Welsh county clubs. ...

External links

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