NCU Senior League

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Location map+ |UK Northern Ireland |width=350 |float=right |caption=Location of teams in the NCU Premier League |places=

{{Location map~ |UK Northern Ireland |lat=54.516032 |long=-6.040143 |label=Lisburn |position=bottom}}

{{Location map~ |UK Northern Ireland |lat=54.73396 |long=-5.829470 |label=Carrickfergus |position=right }}

{{Location map~ |UK Northern Ireland |lat=54.60413 |long=-5.857708 |label=CIYMS |position=top }}

{{Location map~ |UK Northern Ireland |lat=54.59618 |long=-5.832142 |label=CSNI |position=right}}

{{Location map~ |UK Northern Ireland |lat=54.55191 |long=-5.949569 |label=Instonians |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |UK Northern Ireland |lat=54.70314 |long=-6.201375 |label=Muckamore |position=top}}

{{Location map~ |UK Northern Ireland |lat=54.55319 |long=-5.748832 |label=North Down |position=right}}

{{Location map~ |UK Northern Ireland |lat=54.42970 |long=-6.299586 |label=Waringstown |position=bottom}}

}}

The Northern Cricket Union (NCU) Senior League is the provincial cricket league within the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland, which covers counties Antrim, Armagh, Down and south Tyrone of Northern Ireland. The league was formed in 1897 and is currently divided into four sections, namely the Premier League, Sections 1, 2 and 3. It is sponsored by Robinson Services and marketed as the Robinson Services Premier League, Robinson Services Section 1, etc.

There are a total of 32 league members: ten in the Premier League; ten in League 1; and twelve in League 2. There is promotion and relegation of two clubs between each division.

Teams play each other twice per season, once at home and once away, each season, with four points awarded for a win and two for a tie or for "no result". When two or more teams finish with the same number of points, the team with the best net run rate is placed highest. Matches consist of one innings per side, with a maximum of fifty, and a minimum of twenty overs bowled per innings.

Waringstown are the most successful side in the Premier League with 31 wins (6 shared). The current champions are Waringstown after winning the 2024 competition. This was their first title since 2021.

In 2020, the season was abridged due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Premier League was played as a single round of fixtures with the top four teams progressing to semi-finals and the champions declared after a final.

Members for 2022 season

As of 2022, the clubs in the NCU Senior League included:{{update-inline|date=September 2024}}

class="wikitable"

!Premier League

!League 1

!League 2

valign="top"|

|valign="top"|

|valign="top"|

  • Ards & Donaghadee
  • Belfast
  • B.I.S.C.
  • Cooke Collegians
  • Downpatrick
  • Drumaness Super Kings
  • Dunmurry
  • Holywood
  • Laurelvale
  • Larne
  • Monaghan
  • Victoria

Source: [http://www.northerncricketunion.org/ Northern Cricket Union]

List of champions

class="wikitable"
Season

!Champions

1897

|North Down

1898

|North Down

1899

|North of Ireland

1900

|North of Ireland

1901

|Holywood

1902

|North of Ireland

1903

|North of Ireland

1904

|North of Ireland

1905

|North of Ireland

1906

|North Down

1907

|North of Ireland

1908

|North of Ireland

1909

|Holywood

1910

|North Down

1911

|Waringstown

1912

|Holywood

1913

|Banbridge

1914

|Holywood

1919

|North Down

1920

|Cliftonville

1921

|North Down

1922

|Ulster

1923

|North of Ireland

1924

|Waringstown

1925

|Waringstown

1926

|Cliftonville

1927

|North Down

1928

|Armagh

1929

|North Down

1930

|North Down

1931

|Armagh

1932

|North Down

1933

|Lisburn

1934

|North Down

1935

|Woodvale

1936

|North Down

1937

|Lisburn

1938

|Cliftonville

1939

|Armagh

1940

|North of Ireland

1941

|Lisburn

1942

|Lisburn

1943

|Woodvale

1944

|Waringstown

1945

|Cregagh

1946

|North of Ireland

1947

|Cregagh

1948

|Woodvale

1949

|Waringstown

1950

|Lisburn

1951

|Lisburn

1952

|Lisburn

1953

|Waringstown

1954

|North of Ireland

1955

|Woodvale

1956

|Holywood

1957

|North of Ireland

1958

|Holywood and Woodvale (shared)

1959

|Queen's University

1960

|North of Ireland

1961

|North of Ireland

1962

|Instonians

1963

|Lisburn and North of Ireland (shared)

1964

|Lisburn

1965

|North of Ireland

1966

|Woodvale

1967

|Waringstown

1968

|Downpatrick

1969

|Lisburn

1970

|Muckamore and Waringstown (shared)

1971

|North of Ireland and Waringstown (shared)

1972

|Waringstown

1973

|Waringstown

1974

|Downpatrick

1975

|Downpatrick

1976

|Waringstown

1977

|Waringstown

1978

|Waringstown

1979

|Waringstown

1980

|Lisburn

1981

|Waringstown

1982

|Waringstown

1983

|Downpatrick

1984

|Waringstown

1985

|Waringstown

1986

|Downpatrick and North of Ireland (shared)

1987

|North of Ireland

1988

|Waringstown

1989

|North of Ireland and Waringstown (shared)

1990

|Lurgan and North of Ireland (shared)

1991

|Waringstown

1992

|Waringstown

1993

|Lisburn

1994

|Downpatrick

1995

|Cliftonville

1996

|Cliftonville and Lisburn (shared)

1997

|Cliftonville

1998

|Ballymena

1999

|North Down

2000

|Waringstown

2001

|North Down

2002

|North Down

2003

|North Down

2004

|Bangor

2005

|North Down and Waringstown (shared)

2006

|Waringstown

2007

|North Down

2008

|North Down

2009

|Instonians and Waringstown (shared)

2010

|North Down

2011

|North Down[http://www.irishcricket.org/ North Down champions yet again]

2012

|CIYMS[http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/cricket/historic-ciyms-crowned-ncu-premier-champions-1-4243319 Historic CIYMS crowned NCU Premier Champions], News-Letter, 10 September 2012

2013

|Instonians and Waringstown (shared)News Letter, 2 September 2013

2014

|InstoniansNews Letter, 15 September 2014

2015

|Waringstown[http://www.northerncricketunion.org/database/2015/leagues/Premier.shtml Northern Cricket Union]

2016

|Instonians[http://www.northerncricketunion.org/database/2016/leagues/Premier.shtml Northern Cricket Union]

2017

|Waringstown[http://www.cricketeurope.com/DATABASE/ARTICLES2017/articles/000047/004751.shtml Cricket Europe]

2018

|CIYMS[https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/cricket/ciyms-nigel-jones-praise-for-premier-league-champions-1-8619842 News Letter]

2019

|CIYMS[http://www.northerncricketunion.org/database/2019/leagues/Premier.shtml NCU]

2020

|North Down[https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/cricket/north-downs-alistair-shields-high-hopes-after-trophy-joy-over-waringstown-2963076 News Letter]

2021

|Waringstown[https://www.cricketeurope.com/DATABASE/ARTICLES2021/articles/000001/000167.shtml Cricket Europe]

2022

|Lisburn[https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/cricket/lisburn-crowned-premier-league-champions-3805651 News Letter]

2023

|Instonians[https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/instonians-clinch-premier-league-title-after-lisburn-fall-to-defeat-against-waringstown/a2129818664.html Belfast Telegraph]

2023

|Waringstown[https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/donemana-and-waringstown-mark-league-successes-in-style-with-big-victories/a836885318.html Belfast Telegraph]

2024

|Waringstownhttps://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/cricket/graham-humes-half-century-helps-waringstown-secure-premier-league-title-glory-while-carrickfergus-are-relegated-4764386

Performance by club

=Summary of winners=

class="wikitable"
Team

!Wins

Waringstown

|33 (6 shared)

North Down

|24 (1 shared)

North of Ireland

|20 (5 shared)

Lisburn

|14 (2 shared)

Cliftonville

|6 (1 shared)

Downpatrick

|6 (1 shared)

Holywood

|6 (1 shared)

Woodvale

|6 (1 shared)

Instonians

|5 (2 shared)

Armagh

|3

CIYMS

|3

Cregagh

|2

Ballymena

|1

Banbridge

|1

Bangor

|1

Queen's University

|1

Ulster

|1

Lurgan

|1 (shared)

Muckamore

|1 (shared)

See also

References

{{reflist}}