Aire-Wharfe Senior Cricket League

The Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League is an amateur cricket competition in Yorkshire. It is made up of 36 local teams spread over three divisions. The league runs 3 distinct competitions (1st, 2nd and 3rd XIs) as well as a cup competition for each.

Organisation & Structure

36 clubs are divdided into three divisions. The league is run by the management committee and other than the general rules of crciket, rule amendments are suggested and voted upon by all the member clubs. Two clubs are relegated from divisions 1 and 2 each year (those finishing in the bottom two places), with two clubs being promoted from the division below. The club finishing bottom of the third division must state its case for re-election each year.

The 36 clubs are spread over a relatively wide geographical area comprising North Leeds, Harrogate, Knaresborough and Skipton. The location of the clubs broadly follows the valleys and landscapes of the River Aire and the River Wharfe. A full list of clubs is available below.

The league is known for being well organised as competently run by the management committee and the standard of cricket is considered to be one of the best of the 'second tier' of Yorkshire league cricket, with the Bradford League and the ECB Yorkshire Premier League (and perhaps the North Yorkshire/South Durham Cricket League) occupying the first tier.

The 'AWSCL' is remarkable for its diversity. There are small village style teams (Steeton, Illingworth, Upper Wharfedale, Beckwithshaw) as well as established multi-sport clubs (Adel, Pool, Guiseley, Collingham) within the competition, often competing on similar terms. In recent years the league has progressed in terms of quality and preparation, some argue as a result of the rise of [http://www.kecc.org.uk/ Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club] as one of the regular title contenders.

The diversity extends to the physical grounds themselves, some being rural and pituresque whilst other are more charming inner city facilities.

Players

A number have clubs have been the home to test or international circketers at a time during their career, with many more having housed players that have represented counties at junior or second XI level. Due to their overlapping geography, players frequently transfer between the AWSCL clubs and the clubs in the Bradford Cricket League.

The League Competition

League fixtures take place between late April and early September each year. Each side plays every other team in that division home and away. Each fixture comprises a 50 over game with no fielding restrictions. Points are alloted from a total of 6.

6 = outright win
5 = incomplete win (the team batting second were not bolwed out and did not achieve 75% of the fist innings score)
4 = incomplete win (the team batting second were not bolwed out but did achieve 75% of the fist innings score)
3 (each) = tie
2 = losing draw (where 75% is achieved)
1 = losing draw (where 75% is not achieved)
0 = ouright loss

There are no bonus points on offer. If during the course of a season sides are tied on points in the league competition the side with the most outright wins is the winner.

List of Clubs

A full ist of clubs for the 2008 season
is shown below (alphabetically):

Addingham
Adel
Alwoodley
Bardsey
Ben Rhydding
Beckwithshaw
Bilton
Bolton Villas
Burley-in-Wharfedale
Calverley
Collingham and Linton
Colton
Follifoot
Green Lane
Guiseley
Hall Park
Harden
Horsforth
Ilkley
Illingworth
Kirkstall Educational
Knaresborough
Menston
New Rover
North Leeds
Olicanian
Otley
Pool-in-Wharfedale
Rawdon
Silsden
Skipton
Steeton
Thackley
Tong Park
Upper Wharfedale
Woodhouse

Website

The AWSCL has an official [http://www.aire-wharfecricket.org.uk/index.html website]