North Sea Pro Series
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox cricket tournament main
| name = North Sea Pro Series
| image = North_Sea_Pro_Series_logo.png
| administrator = {{ubl|Cricket Scotland|KNCB}}
| country = {{ubl|Netherlands||Scotland}}
| cricket format = {{ubl|50 overs|20 overs}}
| first = 2014
| last = 2016
| tournament format = Double round-robin
}}
The North Sea Pro Series was a professional cricket league featuring teams from the Netherlands and Scotland, first contested in 2014. A joint venture between the Royal Dutch Cricket Board (KNCB) and Cricket Scotland, the Pro Series comprised a 50-over tournament, the North Sea Pro 50, and a 20-over tournament, the North Sea Pro 20.
The first fully professional league in either country, the competition had been described as "formulated to bridge the gap between club and international cricket for professional cricketers".William Dick (3 May 2014). [http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/cricket/north-sea-pro-series-bridging-the-gap.24123254 "North Sea Pro Series bridging the gap"] – The Herald. Retrieved 20 January 2015. The inaugural season featured four franchises, two from the Netherlands and two from Scotland, and both the 50-over and 20-over tournaments were won by the Highlanders, a Scottish franchise.Bertus de Jong (11 June 2014). [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES7/articles/000039/003913.shtml "Highlanders seal North-Sea double on wet weekend"] – Cricket Europe. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
In 2016, the North Sea 50 Trophy was held on 1 September as a final match between the Dutch 50 over champions the South Holland Seafarers and the Scottish 50 over champions Eastern Knights. {{cite web|url=http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES8/articles/000034/003424.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619231852/http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES8/articles/000034/003424.shtml|archive-date=19 Jun 2016|title=Whither the North Sea Pro-Series?|access-date=22 August 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketscotland.com/news/article/seafarers-land-challenge-knights-north-sea-50-fina/|access-date=22 August 2016|title=404 – Cricket Scotland}}
The series did not return in 2017, replaced in Scotland by the Regional Pro Series featuring three domestic franchises, the first edition of which was held in 2016.
Background
Cricket Scotland and the KNCB are both associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and both the Dutch and Scottish national teams have played in multiple World Cups. Both teams currently have Twenty20 International (T20I) status, while Scotland also holds One Day International (ODI) status. The impetus for the creation of the Pro Series was the exclusion of the Dutch and Scottish national sides from the new Royal London One-Day Cup, which replaced the Friends Provident Trophy as the premier limited-overs competition in England and Wales. Andy Tennant, performance director for Cricket Scotland, described the Pro Series as "an ideal opportunity for us to stand on our own two feet and begin to develop a strong domestic professional competition for our best cricketers."John Pennington (1 April 2014). [http://www.cricketworld.com/dutch-scottish-boards-launch-north-sea-pro-series/37147.htm "Dutch, Scottish Boards Launch North Sea Pro Series"] – Cricket World. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
The North Sea Pro Series, contested in May and early June during the 2014 season, does not overlap with the Scottish National Cricket League or the Dutch Topklasse, the top-level club competitions in each country.
Franchises
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Franchise | Home grounds | Captain (2014) | Coach (2014) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlanders | Titwood, Glasgow Nunholm, Dumfries | Craig Wallace | Toby Bailey |
| Northern Hurricanes | Sportpark Het Schootsveld, Deventer Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht VRA Ground, Amstelveen | Peter Borren | – |
| Reivers | Forthill, Dundee Lochlands Park, Arbroath Raeburn Place, Edinburgh | Richie Berrington | Steven Knox |
| Southern Seafarers | Hazelaarweg, Rotterdam Sportpark Duivesteijn, Voorburg Sportpark Thurlede, Schiedam | Stephan Myburgh | – |
Seasons
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Pro 20 championship |
| Year
!Winner !Runner-up !3rd Place !4th Place |
|---|
| 2014
| Highlanders | Northern Hurricanes | Southern Seafarers | Reivers |
| 2015
| Highlanders | Southern Seafarers | Northern Hurricanes | Reivers |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Pro 50 Championship |
| Year
!Winner !Runner-up !3rd Place !4th Place |
|---|
| 2014
| Highlanders | Southern Seafarers | Reivers | Northern Hurricanes |
2014 season
=Squads=
= Points table=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Pro 20 Championship | ||||||
| Position
!Team !Matches !Won !Lost !Tied !No Result !Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | style="text-align:left;"| Highlanders
|6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 2 | style="text-align:left;"| Northern Hurricanes
|6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | style="text-align:left;"| Southern Seafarers
|6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 4 | style="text-align:left;"| Reivers
|6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Pro 50 Championship | ||||||
| Position
!Team !Matches !Won !Lost !Tied !No Result !Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | style="text-align:left;"| Highlanders
|6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
| 2 | style="text-align:left;"| Southern Seafarers
|6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
| 3 | style="text-align:left;"| Reivers
|6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 4 | style="text-align:left;"| Northern Hurricanes
|6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
2015 season
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Pro 20 Championship | ||||||
| Position
!Team !Matches !Won !Lost !Tied !No result !Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | style="text-align:left;"| Highlanders
|12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 42 |
| 2 | style="text-align:left;"| Southern Seafarers
|12 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| 3 | style="text-align:left;"| Northern Hurricanes
|12 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 18 |
| 4 | style="text-align:left;"| Reivers
|12 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Cricket in the Netherlands}}
{{Cricket in Scotland}}
Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2014
Category:2014 establishments in the Netherlands
Category:2014 establishments in Scotland
Category:Cricket in the Netherlands