NCU Challenge Cup
{{short description|Provincial cricket competition on the island of Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use Irish English|date=December 2012}}
The NCU Challenge Cup, also called the NCU Senior Challenge Cup and the NCU Senior Cup, is the most important provincial cricket knock-out cup of the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland. The competition began in 1887, with eleven clubs participating in the first competition, North Down eventually beating North of Ireland in the final at Ormeau.Gerard Siggins (2005), Green Days:Cricket in Ireland 1792-2005. Nonsuch Publishing Ltd., p.39
The Cup is open to teams playing in the Premier League and Section 1 of the NCU Senior League. It is sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher and marketed as the Arthur J Gallagher Challenge Cup.
Matches consist of one 50-over innings per side. Where matches are interrupted or delayed because of weather, the number of overs may be reduced to a minimum of 20.{{cite web|url=http://www.northerncricketunion.org/database/thencu/Playing%20Regulations%20Applying%20to%20the%20Challenge%20Cup%20(2011).doc|title=Challenge Cup Playing Regulations|publisher=Northern Cricket Union|accessdate=26 May 2011}} Duckworth Lewis is employed where a match is interrupted after it has started.
The most successful club in the competition is North Down with 32 victories (1 shared).
Muckamore are the current holders after beating Lisburn in the 2024 Final.
List of finals
Source for finals up to 2002: J. Clarence Hiles (2003), A History of Senior Cricket in Ulster. Comber: Hilltop Publications Ltd.
=1880s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1887 |North 47 (Turner 5/23) and 107 |
align="center"|1888
|Ulster 85 (W Turner 4/22) and 38 (W Turner 6/6) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1889 |Armagh 65 (Cuming 8/29) and 104 (Hughes 4/28) |
=1890s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|1890 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1891 |North 176 (Hughes 38, W Turner 4/53) and 82 (Cuming 38, W Turner 7/31) |
align="center"|1892
|Ballymoney |North Down 282 (Combe 93, H W Andrews 56) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1893 |Ulster 76 (W Turner 4/25) and 89 (W Turner 4/35, Killen 4/26) |
align="center"|1894
|North Down 87 and 30 (Beggs 7/13, E Hughes 3/15) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1895 |Cliftonville |Armagh 77 (Stewart 5/15, Reid 4/37) and 106 (Reid 4/38) |
align="center"|1896
|Holywood 130 (Higgett 7/49) and 90 (Hamilton 4/17, Higget 3/27) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1897 |North Down 176 (O Andrews 73, Gillespie 7/73) and 229 (O Andrews 100) |
align="center"|1898
|North Down 225 (Milling 80, Taylor 61, Reid 6/69) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1899 |Cliftonville |Holywood 189 (Harrington 46, Imrie 5/64) and 79-9 |
{{Reflist|group="n"|refs=
North Down was awarded the Cup when Armagh declined to play the final on the scheduled date.
}}
=1900s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|1900
|North 206 (Thompson 110) and 3-0 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1901 |
align="center"|1902
|Cliftonville |Holywood 60 (Reid 5/13) and 257 (Holloway 65, S C B Erskine 64) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1903 |Cliftonville |North 198 (Andrews 94, Milliken 4/67) |
align="center"|1904
|North 195 (Andrews 43) and 131 (Niblock 5/13) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1905 |North Down 66 (Anderson 5/25) and 120 (D R Taylor 72no, Anderson 5/59) |
align="center"|1906
|North Down 115 (Andrews 7/34) and 105 (Wood 5/24) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1907 |Holywood 91 (Bruce 7/30) and 102 (Bruce 5/50, Andrews 4/47) |
align="center"|1908
|North Down 250 (McDonald 45, Coulter 45no, Moore 4/58) and 35-2 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1909 |Ulster 457 (Diamond 96, Jackson 92, Reynolds 80, Patrick 75, Glover 4/82) |
{{Reflist|group="n"|refs=
North of Ireland was awarded the Cup when North Down declined to play the final on the scheduled date.
}}
=1910s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|1910
|North 224 (Moore 106, Birtill 70, Forsyth 5/51, Haydock 4/72) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1911 |Ulster 171 (Martin 4/37, Moore 4/48) and 170 (Stevenson 59no, Moore 6/77) |
align="center"|1912
|Ulster 67 (Andrews 5/17, Pollock 5/50) and 110 (S.H. Jackson 52no, Andrews 9/44) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1913 |North Down 423 (W. Andrews 111, Anderson 80, Jas. Andrews 411) |
align="center"|1914
|Waringstown 155 (Coulter 5/35) and 127 (Coulter 7/34) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1915 |colspan=4|no competition |
align="center"|1916
|colspan=4|no competition |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1917 |colspan=4|no competition |
align="center"|1918
|colspan=4|no competition |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1919 |North Down 175 (Pollock 4/44) and 202 (Andrews 48, Anderson 43) |
=1920s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|1920
|Cliftonville 60 (Lea 5/26, Maxwell 4/14) and 102 (Maxwell 5/44, Lea 5/48) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1921 |North Down 135 (H. McKenzie 4/20, Williamson 4/52) and 74 (Williamson 6/33, T. McKenzie 4/32) |
align="center"|1922
|Cliftonville 155 (McCully 62, T. McKenzie 7/47) and 44 (T. McKenzie 6/29) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1923 |Holywood 76 (Fleming 7/39) and 134 (Anderson 56, Fleming 5/55) |
align="center"|1924
|Waringstown 78 (Shields 4/8, Johnston 4/33) and 130 (Scott 37, Johnston 3/11) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1925 |Cliftonville 78 (Pollock 5/60) and 178 (McDonald 59, Pollock 5/37) |
align="center"|1926
|North Down 337 (Jas McDonald 80, Taylor 55no) and 240 (Jas McDonald 57, Shields 51no) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1927 |Holywood 99 (Jas McDonald 4/27) and 59 (Jas McDonald 8/18) |
align="center"|1928
|North 177 (Shields 6/30) and 101 (Macdonald 4/40) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1929 |North Down 52 (T. Martin 5/15) and 141 (T. Martin 4/37) |
=1930s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|1930
|Ulster 169 (McCleery 71) and 130 (Shields 4/50) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1931 |North Down 119 (Graham 40) and 256 (T. F. Macdonald 108, McCleery 4/86) |
align="center"|1932
|Armagh 121 (Barnes 40, T. J. Macdonald 4/12) and 118 (Livingstone 63, Morgan 5/50, Jas Macdonald 4/39) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1933 |Lurgan 193 (Leathem 57no) and 118 |
align="center"|1934
|North Down 238 (T. J. Macdonald 66, McCleery 6/66) and 147 (Billingsley 6/48) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1935 |North Down 303 (Jas Macdonald 159no) |
align="center"|1936
|Cliftonville |Woodvale 82 (Clarke 6/33) and 77 (Clarke 7/36) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1937 |Cliftonville |North Down 331 (McKibbin 80, J. Shields 67, W. Shields 57, T. J. Macdonald 49, Billingsley 5/83) and 129 (Armstrong 4/21) |
align="center"|1938
|Cliftonville |Donacloney 67 (R. N. Morgan 5/35, Boyd 4/8 inc. hat-trick) and 105 (R. N. Morgan 5/49, F. Jackson 4/10) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1939 |North Down 68 (Armstrong 7/17) and 81 (Armstrong 5/35) |
=1940s=
{{Reflist|group="n"|refs=
During the Second World War, the Cup final was reduced to one innings. The trophy was not awarded but a set of stumps was presented instead.
}}
=1950s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|1950
|Woodvale 168 (Topping 42) and 124 (Craig 41, Hampton 7/38) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1951 |North 180 (Shearer 37, Bowden 6/46) and 304 (Marks 81, Shearer 70, Morrison 62) |
align="center"|1952
|Armagh 65 (Wilson 5/21, H. Armstrong 5/26) and 240 (Spearman 93, Wilson 4/79, H. Armstrong 4/83) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1953 |Waringstown 197 (McMullan 56, Fawcett 54, Roberts 4/66) and 112 (Kelly 5/23, Roberts 5/51) |
align="center"|1954
|Lurgan 91 (Adamson 48no, Wilson 5/25) and 81 (Scott 4/18) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1955 |Waringstown 116 (Bowden 7/35) and 142 (Fawcett 44, Bowden 3/29) |
align="center"|1956
|North 134 (Hewitt 34) and 160 (Pollock 47, Bingham 4/44) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1957 |Lisburn 336 (Hunter 133, Walker 53, Wilson 4/109) |
align="center"|1958
|colspan=2|Lisburn & Sion Mills |Lisburn 235 (Bowden 71, W. McCloy 51, Flood 5/80) and 36-3 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1959 |Queen's 86 (Andrews 31) and 85 (Woods 6/15) |
=1960s=
=1970s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|1970
|Waringstown 140 (J. Harrison 57, Monteith 6/39) and 187-6 (D. Harrison 48no, Monteith 5/58) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1971 |Waringstown 266-4 (Reith 100, D. Harrison 55no, R. Harrison 53) and 209-7 (R. Harrison 87no, Reith 40) |
align="center"|1972
|Lurgan 186-2 (Hunter 87no, Kavanagh 77) and 164-4 (Hunter 65no, McQuilken 5/67) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1973 |Queen's 126 (Farmer 40, Anderson 4/42) and 166-8 (Crothers 48) |
align="center"|1974
|Waringstown 226-5 (Anderson 76no, J. Harrison 53) and 34-2 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1975 |Waringstown 192-4 (J. Harrison 102no) and 130-9 (J. Harrison 37, Hunter 4/40) |
align="center"|1976
|Waringstown 179-9 (Anderson 47, Monteith 5/71) and 134 (Monteith 5/64, Lyness 4/26) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1977 | |
align="center"|1978
| |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1979 | |Waringstown won by 1 run. |
=1980s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|1980
| |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1981 | |
align="center"|1982
| |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1983 | |
align="center"|1984
| |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1985 |Lisburn{{cite web|url=https://www.cricketeurope.com/IRELAND/PLAYERS/549/index.shtml|title=Biography – James William Kirkwood|publisher=cricketeurope.com|accessdate=13 June 2019}} | |
align="center"|1986
| |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1987 | |
align="center"|1988
| |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1989 | |
=1990s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match scores |
---|
align="center"|1990
| | |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1991 | |North Down 241-3 (M Clark 111, C McCrum 60) and 245-7 (C McCrum 65, J Gilliland 51, M Clark 50, Akram Raza 4-46) |
align="center"|1992
| |Waringstown 243-4 (S Harrison 117) and 186 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1993 |Waringstown |North Down | |North Down 127-7 and 74 (G Harrison 5-13) |
align="center"|1994
|colspan=2|Lisburn and North Down | |North Down 160-9 (C McCrum 58, D Heasley 4-37) and 203-7 (A Semple 61no) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1995 |Waringstown |Lurgan | |Lurgan 144-7 and 152 (R McCollum 57, A Spence 4-12) |
align="center"|1996
|Lurgan |Lisburn | |Lisburn 90 and 182-9 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1997 |North | |Downpatrick 244-5 (J Patterson 96, G Ferguson 57) and 174 (R Shilliday 51, D Johnston 6-16) |
align="center"|1998
|Woodvale | |Woodvale 155-7 and 218-6 (S Warke 102, A Rutherford 68) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|1999 |North of Ireland |Woodvale | |North 223-8 (D Finlay 65, J Bouyens 63 no) and 145-9 |
=2000s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|2000
| |North Down 171-7 (A White 67) and 116 (S Donnelly 4-21) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|2001 |North Down | |North Down 287-3 (Ryan Haire 109no, P Shields 74no) and 167 (Robin Haire 54; A O'Prey 5-39) |
align="center"|2002
|North Down | |North Down 140-7 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|2003 |North Down |North Down 214-8 (A White 80, Robin Haire 50, S Kidd 4/10) and 210-5 (D Kennedy 93no, A White 54) |
align="center"|2004
|North Down |North Down 242-4 (D Kennedy 105no) and 165-8 (D Kennedy 64) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|2005 |North Down |Downpatrick 208-9 (G Ferguson 57) and 108 |
align="center"|2006
|Waringstown |Waringstown 303-5 (J Hall 130, K McCallan 92no) and 47-1 |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|2007 |North Down |Waringstown |Waringstown 187 |
align="center"|2008
|Civil Service North of Ireland |Waringstown |CSNI 150-9 (N Jones 51) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|2009 |North Down |North Down 176-7 (J Terrett 51) (Duckworth Lewis par score 189 in 30 overs) |
=2010s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|2010
|North Down 262-6 (T Khan 89, N Russell 57) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|2011 |Civil Service North of Ireland |Wallace Park |Waringstown 190-8 (K McCallan 63) |
align="center"|2012
|North Down 182 (A Sutherland 58, E Moleon 3-25) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|align="center"|2013 |Waringstown 265-6 (K McCallan 110, O Pienaar 62, Z Rushe 2-47, C Brome 2-47, B Wylie 2-50) |
align="center"|2014
|Civil Service North of Ireland |Waringstown 156 (48.1 overs, S Khan 38, A Coulter 3/25, S Getkate 2/35) |
align="center"|2015
|CIYMS 259-7 (R van der Dussen 117, J Matchett 46, J Thompson 68, Z Rushe 2/47, E Moleon 3/80) |
align="center"|2016
|Civil Service North of Ireland |CIYMS 243-7 (N Jones 38, J Kemp 68, S Chambers 42, J Thompson 37, Z Rushe 22no, J Costain 2/27, A Blain 2/73) |
align="center"|2017
|Instonians 208 (Ni Smith 67, J Shannon 36, E Moleon 39, N Jones 2/28, J Mulder 3/51) |
align="center"|2018
|Civil Service North of Ireland |CSNI 285-4 (M Ellison 139, A Malan 52, J Kennedy 37, L Nelson 3-43) |
align="center"|2019
|CIYMS 220 (O Pienaar 27, J van der Merwe 50, R Hunter 39, M Adair 63, J Manley 4-42, S Getkate 3-38) Instonians 122 (O Metcalfe 48, S Getkate 26, N Jones 4-31, J Mulder 2-17, T Britton 2-9)
|
=2020s=
class="wikitable" |
Season
!width="120"|Winners !width="120"|Runners-up !width="100"|Venue !width="540"|Match Scores |
---|
align="center"|2020
|not played | | | |
style="background: #D0E6FF;" |
align="center"|2021
|CIYMS 269-8 (50 overs) (C Dougherty 20, J Cameron-Dowe 43, J van der Merwe 22, N Jones 51, J Mulder 28no; C Young 3-41) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"|align="center"|2021 |
align="center"|2022
|CSNI |CSNI 161 (40.5 overs) (L Georgeson 20, M Ellison 30, S Thompson 32, A Johnston 23; K Dudgeon 3-33, G Kennedy 3-29, J Mulder 4-15) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"|align="center"|2022 |
align="center"|2023
|Waringstown 354-4 (50 overs) (A Dennison 109, P Botha 22, M Topping 150, G Thompson 39no; C van der Walt 2-68) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"|align="center"|2023 |
align="center"|2024
|Lisburn 265-8 (50 overs) (J Waite 41, M Adair 56, G Halliday 45no, D Miller 22; S Suresh 3-43, J van der Merwe 2-30) |
style="background: #D0E6FF;"|align="center"|2024 |
Summary of winners
class="wikitable" |
Team
!Wins |
---|
North Down
|32 (1 shared) |
Waringstown
|27 |
North
|20 |
Woodvale
|10 |
Lisburn
|10 (2 shared) |
Downpatrick
|7 |
CIYMS
|5 |
Lurgan
|4 |
Ulster
|4 |
Civil Service North
|3 |
Instonians
|3 |
Cliftonville
|2 |
Holywood
|2 |
Sion Mills
|2 (1 shared) |
Muckamore
|2 |
Queen's University
|1 |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
[http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CEIRELAND/NORTHERN/ARCHIVES/cupsenior.shtml CricketEurope archives]
External links
- [http://www.northerncricketunion.org/index.shtml Northern Cricket Union]
{{Cricket in Ireland}}