Bolton Cricket League

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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