Durham County Cricket League

The Durham County Cricket League is a league operating in County Durham in the North East of England. The league was originally formed in 1937 but only lasted two seasons before it disbanded. The league in its current form began in 1948 with the first champions being Peases West Welfare CC, who were based in Crook. The league has a Senior League Division A with a Division B for second elevens. In the Junior section there are sections for Under-18, Under-15, Under-13 and Under-11 sides. There are currently 11 senior clubs in membership, Namely Brandon, Crook Town, Esh Winning, Evenwood, Langley Park, Mainsforth, Marsden, Shildon Railway, Tudhoe, Ushaw Moor and Willington. Sadly Etherley resigned a few weeks into the 2011 season as, after having been given permission by the league to only operate with one senior team, they were unable to field a side. They are continuing to operate a side in the Under-13's section. Ten of the eleven clubs have sides in the Junior section with Marsden for geographical reasons having their Junior sides in the Durham Senior League despite the Senior clubs relegation from that league in 2010. Bishop Auckland of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League and Newton Aycliffe of the North East Durham League also enter Junior sides in the Durham County League. There are 12 sides in the Under-18 section, Bishop Auckland, Brandon, Crook Town, Esh Winning, Evenwood, Langley Park, Mainsforth, Newton Aycliffe, Shildon Railway, Tudhoe, Ushaw Moor and Willington. All of the above apart from Esh Winning have Under-15 sides. Newton Aycliffe do not have a side in the Under-13 section but Esh Winning and Etherley do as well as all the other clubs. There are six sides in the Under-11 section, Bishop Auckland, Brandon, Crook Town, Esh Winning, Tudhoe and Willington. The current League Chairman is John Irvine of Mainsforth with John Coe of Willington Vice-Chairman. George Thompson (Ushaw Moor) is League Secretary with Alan Stewart from Crook Registration and Fixture Secretary and Tom Huscroft of Langley Park Treasurer. The league is currently sponsored by Readers, the Cricket ball manufacturers.

List of League Champions: 1948 - Peases West Welfare 1949 - Dean and Chapter CW 1950 - Seaham Park 1951 - Crook Town 1952 - Langley Park CW 1953 - Murton CW 1954 - Murton CW 1955 - Seaham Park 1956 - Murton CW 1957 - Hetton Lyons 1958 - Dean and Chapter CW 1959 - Dean and Chapter CW 1960 - Dean and Chapter CW 1961 - Dean and Chapter CW 1962 - Shildon BR 1963 - Crook Town 1964 - Crook Town 1965 - Ushaw Moor 1966 - Shildon BR 1967 - Ushaw Moor 1968 - Ushaw Moor 1969 - Ushaw Moor 1970 - Ushaw Moor 1971 - Shildon BR 1972 - Etherley 1973 - Ushaw Moor 1974 - Crook Town 1975 - Willington 1976 - Langley Park 1977 - Evenwood 1978 - Langley Park 1979 - Evenwood 1980 - Crook Town 1981 - Crook Town 1982 - Crook Town 1983 - Crook Town 1984 - Leadgate 1985 - Esh Winning 1986 - Crook Town 1987 - Crook Town 1988 - Tudhoe 1989 - Esh Winning 1990 - Esh Winning 1991 - Crook Town 1992 - Crook Town 1993 - Sedgefield 1994 - Kimblesworth 1995 - Tudhoe 1996 - Tudhoe 1997 - Hetton Lyons 1998 - Tudhoe 1999 - Leadgate 2000 - Leadgate 2001 - Kimblesworth 2002 - Evenwood 2003 - Evenwood 2004 - Evenwood 2005 - Esh Winning 2006 - Kimblesworth 2007 - Esh Winning 2008 - Kimblesworth 2009 - Kimblesworth 2010 - Kimblesworth 2011 - Esh Winning