The Bolton Cricket League is a cricket league comprising fifteen teams in and around Bolton, Greater Manchester in North West England. The league runs competitions at First Team, Second Team, Under 18, Under 15, Under 13 and Under 11 levels. It expanded after the 2015 season, with nine clubs joining from in and around the area.[1][2] However, the league lost two established clubs in the process, due to the formation of the Greater Manchester Cricket League in 2016.[3]

History

The league was established in 1930 after breaking away from the Bolton Cricket Association.[4] The League Heahquarters is based at Barley Brook Meadow, Bolton, Lancashire.[5] The League also hold the Hamer Cup competition; a knockout cup competition for first teams in the Bolton Cricket League. The most successful team(s) to date is both Walkden and Farnworth who became league champions for the fourteenth time in 2019 and 2017 respectively.[6]

Champions

YearClub
League Champions, 1930–1949
1930 Farnworth
1931
1932 Tonge
1933 Heaton
1934 Farnworth
1935
1936 Bradshaw
1937 Farnworth
1938 Eagley
1939 Tonge
1940 Westhoughton
1941 Westhoughton
1942 Westhoughton
1943 Eagley
1944 Eagley
1945 Bradshaw
1946 Little Lever
1947 Farnworth
1948 Walkden
1949 Farnworth
YearClub
League Champions, 1950–1969
1950 Walkden
1951 Walkden
1952 Walkden
1953 Horwich
1954 Bradshaw
1955 Horwich
1956 Westhoughton
1957 Little Lever
1958 Heaton
1959 Farnworth
1960 Farnworth
1961 Walkden
1962 Walkden
1963 Bradshaw
1964 Farnworth
1965 Farnworth
1966 Little Lever
1967 Tonge
1968 Tonge
1969 Tonge
YearClub
League Champions, 1970–1989
1970 Astley Bridge
1971 Westhoughton
1972 Little Lever
1973 Tonge
1974 Kearsley
1975 Kearsley
1976 Bradshaw
1977 Bradshaw
1978 Horwich
1979 Kearsley
1980 Westhoughton
1981 Little Lever
1982 Kearsley
1983 Horwich
1984 Farnworth
1985 Farnworth Social Circle
1986 Kearsley
1987 Farnworth Social Circle
1988 Greenmount
1989 Walkden
YearClub
League Champions, 1990–2009
1990 Kearsley
1991 Farnworth Social Circle
1992 Bradshaw
1993 Kearsley
1994 Farnworth Social Circle
1995 Little Lever
1996 Tonge
1997 Tonge
1998 Tonge
1999 Tonge
2000 Kearsley
2001 Walkden
2002 Tonge
2003 Walkden
2004 Westhoughton
2005 Farnworth
2006 Walkden
2007 Walkden
2008 Walkden
2009 Farnworth Social Circle
YearClub
League Champions, 2010–2019
2010 Farnworth
2011 Greenmount
2012 Farnworth
2013 Little Lever
2014 Farnworth Social Circle
2015 Egerton
2016 Farnworth Social Circle
2017 Farnworth
2018 Walkden
2019 Walkden
2020 League suspended
2021 Horwich RMI

    League performance by season from 2011

    Key
    Gold Champions
    Blue Left League
    Red Relegated
    Performance by season, from 2011
    Club 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
    Adlington 14 10
    Astley Bridge 6 13 11 9 7 19
    Atherton 13 9
    Blackrod 11
    Bradshaw 8 7 7 2 5 8 2 6 9
    Daisy Hill 15 10
    Darcy Lever 16
    Eagley 13 12 14 14 11 10 9
    Egerton [lower-alpha 1] 11 3 3 7 1
    Farnworth 5 1 5 5 4 4 1 2 2 8
    Farnworth Social Circle 4 5 6 1 3 1 5 5 6 3
    Golborne 17
    Greenmount 1 2 4 6 6
    Heaton 9 10 10 11 12 9 10
    Horwich RMI 2 4 9 4 13 5 7 3 3 1
    Kearsley 10 9 12 8 8 7 3 4 4
    Little Hulton 18
    Little Lever 12 6 1 12 10 12 7 4
    Lostock 6 8 8 5 6
    Standish 20
    Tonge 14 11 13 13 14 21 7
    Walkden 3 8 8 10 9 2 6 1 1 5
    Westhoughton 7 14 2 3 2 3 4 7 8 2
    References [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12][13] [14] [15] [16] [17][lower-alpha 2] [18]
    1. ↑ Egerton left the league after the 2015 season.
    2. ↑ Coronavirus pandemic forced a reduction in league activity.

    Notable players

    A number of quality cricketers have played in the Bolton Cricket League including:

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ Neil Bonnar. "Bolton Cricket League clubs recognise need for change". Bury Times. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
    2. ↑ Neil Bonnar. "Bolton Cricket League announce major expansion plans with 10 new clubs and two divisions". The Bolton News. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
    3. ↑ "Greater Manchester Cricket League". gtrmcrcricket.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
    4. ↑ "Bolton & District Cricket Association". boltondca.play-cricket.com. B&DCA. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
    5. ↑ "Bolton Cricket League". boltoncl.play-cricket.com. BCL. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
    6. ↑ "Bolton Cricket League Records". boltoncricket.co.uk. Bolton Cricket League. 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
    7. ↑ "1st XI Competition - 2011".
    8. ↑ "1st XI Competition - 2012".
    9. ↑ "1st XI Competition - 2013".
    10. ↑ "1st XI Competition - 2014".
    11. ↑ "1st XI Competition - 2015".
    12. ↑ "1st XI Competition - 2016".
    13. ↑ Neil Bonnar. "The Bolton Cricket League to remain independent and looking into creating two divisions". The Bolton News. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
    14. ↑ "1st XI Premiership - 2017".
    15. ↑ "1st XI Premiership - 2018".
    16. ↑ "1st XI Premiership - 2019".
    17. ↑ "1st XI Premiership - 2020".
    18. ↑ "1st XI Premiership - 2021".
    19. ↑ Fennah, Richard (16 February 2016). "Death Of Nantwich Favourite, Ian Cowap, 65". Cheshire County Cricket League. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
    20. ↑ White, Felix (12 March 2018). "Gary Neville: 'Cricket toughened me up a lot more than football'". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
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