The Birmingham & District Premier Cricket League is the oldest

club cricket Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are o ...

league in the United Kingdom, formed in 1888. It was the first ECB

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

, being designated such in 1998, and is one of the strongest of the ECB Premier Leagues.

Geography

The Birmingham League traditionally covered North

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

, South

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands C ...

and North

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...

, much of which is now the conurbation of the West Midlands. Since 1998, with the introduction of the ECB Premier Leagues, the pyramid system, and feeder leagues in the four counties ( Shropshire Premier Cricket League, Staffordshire Club Cricket Championship, Warwickshire Cricket League and

Worcestershire County Cricket League {{more citations needed, date=June 2011 The Worcestershire County Cricket League (WCL) is an English club cricket league, and consists of club teams primarily from Worcestershire, as well as several other clubs from bordering counties Herefordshi ...

), the catchment of the league has spread to include the whole of

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

and

, as well as a large part of

, although North Staffordshire clubs play in the

North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League The North Staffordshire and South Cheshire Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the North Staffordshire and South Cheshire area of England, and the league Headquarters is based in Stoke on Tre ...

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouths ...

clubs, who play in the

, can also be promoted into the league.

History

The Birmingham and District Cricket League is the oldest club competition in the United Kingdom, beginning league matches in 1888. The Birmingham and District Cricket Association had actually formed eight years earlier in 1880, but only ran a successful, if not controversial, cup competition for those first few years. On Friday 30 November 1888, representatives from local cricket clubs gathered at the Queen's Arms Hotel, Easy Row, Birmingham and went about setting up the first

Club Cricket Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are o ...

League in the UK, being inspired by the success The

Birmingham County Football Association Birmingham County Football Association, also simply known as ''Birmingham County FA'' or ''BCFA'', is a football governing body covering the historic county of Warwickshire (including Birmingham) and the Black Country region, England. The county ...

had had in organising local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

competition and fixtures. With some representatives needing to consult their own committees before pledging their commitment to the league, and one or two prominent local clubs not being present, it was not until a second meeting on Friday 14 December 1888 that the league was actually, officially formed. There were initially seven clubs who decided to trial the league format the following season. They were: *

Aston Unity Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre. History Aston wa ...

Handsworth Wood Handsworth Wood is a suburb of Birmingham in the West Midlands County, England. Located within the metropolitan county of the West Midlands since 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, it was previously a part of the county of ...

Kings Heath Kings Heath (historically, and still occasionally King's Heath) is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, four miles south of the city centre. Historically in Worcestershire, it is the next suburb south from Moseley on the A435, Alcester road. ...

* Mitchells * Salters *

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is th ...

* West Bromwich Dartmouth Those early days saw many changes in the league's club make-up:

moved to "The Reddings" Ground, joining with

Moseley Cricket Club Moseley Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club in Solihull. Their 1st and 2nd XIs currently play in the Birmingham and District Premier League premier division. The club was a founder member of the Birmingham League in English club cricket, winn ...

(and taking on that name). Another

Kings Heath Club Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

was formed later, but never became part of the Birmingham League set-up until the restructuring of

Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the In ...

Club cricket in 1998.

Salters Cricket Club Salter may refer to: * Salter (surname) * Salter (trap) *Salter Brecknell, a manufacturer of light commercial weighing scales, part of Avery Weigh-Tronix *Salter Housewares, a manufacturer of consumer weighing scales *Salters Steamers, a boating c ...

who played in

Roebuck Lane Roebuck may refer to: Animals *Roe buck or roebuck, a male roe deer People * Alvah Curtis Roebuck (1864–1948), American businessman, co-founder of Sears, Roebuck and Company * Daniel Roebuck (born 1963), American television film actor, writer a ...

West Bromwich West Bromwich ( ) is a market town in the borough of Sandwell, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is north-west of Birmingham. West Bromwich is part of the area ...

, and originated from the Spring Works of the same name, resigned from the league after just one season. In 1890,

Wednesbury Cricket Club Wednesbury () is a market town in Sandwell in the county of West Midlands, England. It is located near the source of the River Tame. Historically part of Staffordshire in the Hundred of Offlow, at the 2011 Census the town had a population of 3 ...

joined the league. In 1891,

Smethwick Cricket Club Smethwick Cricket Club, founded in 1835, is an amateur cricket club based in Smethwick, Sandwell, England. In 1891, Smethwick Cricket Club joined the Birmingham and District Cricket League. Smethwick have five Senior XI teams: The 1st XI play ...

, who had been involved in the Birmingham and District Cricket Association Cup competition in the 1880s, entered the league. Mitchells Cricket Club left the league between 1892 and 1896, due to some friction surrounding ineligible players, but shortly after they returned, they became Mitchells and Butlers Cricket Club when the two breweries amalgamated in 1898. In 1892, Small Heath Cricket Club joined the league and although their ground was amongst the best in the competition, the club was out of its depth in other aspects, and they resigned from the league 3 years later. In 1894,

Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Warwickshire. Its T20 team is called the Birmingham Bears. Found ...

entered the league after years of deliberation, but withdrew again in 1895 after being admitted to the

County Championship The County Championship (referred to as the LV= Insurance County Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales and is organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It b ...

. Over the next few years, the league's influence moved to the west, with Dudley Cricket Club joining the League in 1893,

Stourbridge Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The ...

in 1894 and

Kidderminster Kidderminster is a large market and historic minster town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, south-west of Birmingham and north of Worcester. Located north of the River Stour and east of the River Severn, in the 2011 census, it ha ...

in 1895.

who had performed creditably in the league until their Browne's Green ground was acquired by developers shortly after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, spent one season playing at the County Ground,

Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family ...

, but when no new ground could be found the following season either, they lost a narrow motion by the league (by one vote), and

Old Hill Cricket Club Old Hill Cricket Club is a cricket club in Cradley Heath, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. History The club was founded in 1884 as Haden Hill Victoria, and has played on the Haden Hill ground in Cradley Heath since founding, ha ...

replaced them in 1920. The Handsworth Wood Club folded shortly afterwards, handing their cash balance over to the league benevolent fund. The second XI competition, perhaps stronger than any of the lower level 1st XI competitions which existed in the region until the restructuring of 1998, was formed in 1893. The league was suspended for the

between 1914 and 1918, but continued to play through the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, and the League, now comprising 10 clubs (

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

, Mitchells and Butlers,

Moseley Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...

Old Hill Old Hill is a small village in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands, England, situated around north of Halesowen and south of Dudley. Initially a separate village it is now part of the much larger West Midlands conurbati ...

Smethwick Smethwick () is an industrial town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire. In 2019, the ward of Smethwick had an estimated population of 15,246, while the wider b ...

, West Bromwich Dartmouth), stayed the same until 1975. In 1975, the league expanded again as

and

decided the strength of the league could be utilised.

entered a 1st and 2nd XI (basically a 1st/2nd team side and a 2nd/colts side), whilst

only entered a 1st XI and Duport Cricket Club (A

-based Furniture making company club) played their 2nd XI fixtures. Whilst

established themselves in the competition and won it on a few occasions,

struggled, and two years later, Duport took on their 1st XI fixtures too, as they were forced to pull out of the league. Duport also struggled with the on-field standards, and when support from the company's Social Club was reduced they too were forced to pull out of the competition, and were replaced by another

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

-based side in 1982, Worcester City. Many other changes took place in the league throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and they are summarised below: In 1998 the Birmingham League included Promotion & relegation for the first time. The 12 teams of the Birmingham League formed the Premier Division, The 2 other big leagues (Midlands Combined Counties League & Midlands Club Cricket League) formed the lower divisions. Teams increased over time to 48 (4 1st XI divisions of 12 clubs: Premier, Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3, with accompanying 2nd XI divisions: Premier, Division 1, Division 2 West and Division 2 East). In 2017, under pressure from the ECB, the league's clubs voted to cut the league down to 2 divisions of 12 by 2019, and disband the 2nd XI competition.

ECB Premier League

Since being designated an ECB Premier League in 1998 (the first Premier Cricket League in the Country), several changes have occurred in the league's structure. Initially, the 12 clubs in the old Birmingham League made up the Premier Division, and a First Division, Second Division East and Second Division West were made up from clubs in the old Midlands Combined Counties League, the Worcestershire League, the Warwickshire League and the Staffs League. The Second Division East and Second Division West were later replaced by a Second Division and a Third Division. Only one club was promoted in the first year of the new structure, which was

Cannock Cannock () is a town in the Cannock Chase district in the county of Staffordshire, England. It had a population of 29,018. Cannock is not far from the nearby towns of Walsall, Burntwood, Stafford and Telford. The cities of Lichfield and Wolverh ...

while

, a founder member of the league, were the first club to be relegated. Since 1999, two clubs have been relegated and two promoted each season. Following the 2018 season the Second and Third divisions were abolished, along with all four 2nd XI divisions, and the league was reduced to two divisions. The relegated 1st and 2nd XIs now compete in the four West Midland county feeder leagues. The winners of the four feeder leagues now enter a ‘round robin’ playoff at the end of each season with the top two teams being promoted (replacing the two relegated sides from Premier Division Two) and the bottom two going back to their feeder leagues. The 2020 competition was cancelled because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. A replacement competition was arranged for the later part of the season when cricket again became possible, but with its winners not to be regarded as official league champions.

Clubs for 2022

For the 2022 season, the clubs in Premier Division One are: Barnt Green, Berkswell, Halesowen, Kenilworth Wardens, Kidderminster, Knowle & Dorridge, Leamington Spa, Moseley, Ombersley, Shifnal, Shrewsbury, Smethwick. The clubs in Premier Division Two are: Barnards Green, Bridgnorth, Bromsgrove, Dorridge, Harborne, Himley, Lichfield, Walsall, Wem, West Bromwich Dartmouth, Wolverhampton, Worfield. Across the two divisions, the league currently includes: 7 Warwickshire clubs (Berkswell, Dorridge, Harborne, Kenilworth Wardens, Knowle & Dorridge, Leamington Spa, Moseley) 6 Staffordshire clubs (Himley, Lichfield, Smethwick, Walsall, West Bromwich Dartmouth, Wolverhampton) 6 Worcestershire clubs (Barnards Green, Barnt Green, Bromsgrove, Halesowen, Kidderminster, Ombersley) 5 Shropshire clubs (Bridgnorth, Shifnal, Shrewsbury, Wem, Worfield).

Winners

* * – denotes a shared title

Championships won

Performance by season from 1998

1000 runs in a season

Although there have been many notable feats throughout the league's history, one of the most difficult achievements for a batsman is to score over 1000 runs in a club league season. Only fourteen players have ever managed it in the top division of the Birmingham League, one of them twice:

National Knockout

The Birmingham and District Cricket League's strength as a competition has been proven throughout the years, by the presence of its clubs in the latter stages of the

ECB National Club Cricket Championship The ECB National Club Cricket Championship is a forty over limited overs knockout club cricket competition in England. The most successful clubs have been Scarborough, from North Yorkshire, with five titles and Old Hill, from Staffordshire, with ...

(a cup Competition for all Clubs in the UK). Here are a list of clubs in the league structure who have won or been runners-up in the competition:

Famous players, and B&DPCL Club(s) represented

Many well known international players have played in the Birmingham League over the years:

England Players

Tom Banton Thomas Banton (born 11 November 1998) is an English cricketer. He made his international debut for the England cricket team in November 2019. Domestic and franchise career Banton made his Twenty20 cricket debut for Somerset in the 2017 NatWest ...

Barnt Green * Kabir Ali Smethwick, West Bromwich Dartmouth, C & R Hawks *

Moeen Ali Moeen or Moein or Moien is a given name and surname. It is a Quranic name which means: helper, supporter, or provider of refuge. Notable persons with the name include: Persons with the given name * Moein (singer) (born 1951), Iranian singer * ...

Smethwick, West Bromwich Dartmouth, Wolverhampton, * Dennis Amiss *

Ted Arnold Edward George Arnold (7 November 1876 – 25 October 1942) was an English cricketer who played in ten Test Matches from 1903 to 1907, and most of his 343 first-class matches for Worcestershire between 1899 and 1913. His ''Wisden'' obituary ...

* Sydney Barnes * Charles Barnett *

Ian Bell Ian Ronald Bell (born 11 April 1982) is an English former cricketer who played international cricket in all formats for the England cricket team and county cricket for Warwickshire County Cricket Club. A right-handed higher/middle order batsm ...

Coventry & North Warwickshire, Knowle & Dorridge *

Joey Benjamin Joseph Emmanuel Benjamin (2 February 19618 March 2021) was a St Kitts–born English cricketer who played in one Test match and two One Day Internationals in 1994 and 1995. He also played county cricket for Warwickshire and Surrey County C ...

Mitchells & Butlers * David Brown * Usman Afzaal *

Dougie Brown Douglas Robert Brown (born 29 October 1969) is a Scottish former cricketer and former head coach of the United Arab Emirates national team. Brown represented the Scottish national team as an all-rounder at One Day International (ODI) and T ...

Barnt Green * Freddie Calthorpe * Nobby Clark West Bromwich Dartmouth * Geoff Cook * Nick Cook West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Tim Curtis Timothy Stephen Curtis (born 15 January 1960, Chislehurst, Kent) is a former England cricketer, English teacher and Director of Sport at RGS Worcester. He retired from teaching in 2016. A right-handed batsman, Curtis was a prolific scorer for W ...

Kidderminster, West Bromwich Dartmouth * Steve Davies Himley, Kidderminster * Phil DeFreitas Aston Manor *

Basil D'Oliveira Basil Lewis D'Oliveira CBE OIS (4 October 1931 – 19 November 2011) was an England international cricketer of South African Cape Coloured background, whose potential selection by England for the scheduled 1968–69 tour of apartheid-era South ...

Kidderminster *

Tom Dollery Tom Dollery (14 October 1914 – 20 January 1987) was an English cricketer, who played for the England cricket team and Warwickshire County Cricket Club. Life and career Horace Edgar Dollery was born in Reading, Berkshire, and educated at Readi ...

* Jack Flavell Stourbridge, Walsall * Frank Foster * Reginald "Tip" Foster Stourbridge * Alfred "Tich" Freeman * Bruce French *

Jason Gallian Jason Edward Riche Gallian (born 25 June 1971) is a former English Test cricketer. A right-handed opening batter, he originally hails from Australia and captained their Under-19 side for two Under-19 Tests in 1989 and 1990. He played three Test m ...

Wolverhampton * Norman Gifford Dudley * Tom Goddard *

Alf Gover Alfred Richard Gover (29 February 1908 – 7 October 2001) was an English Test cricketer. He was the mainstay of the Surrey bowling attack during the 1930s and played four Tests before and after the Second World War. He also founded and ran ...

West Bromwich Dartmouth * Tom Graveney Dudley *

Dean Headley Dean Warren Headley (born 27 January 1970) is a former English professional cricketer who played international cricket for the England cricket team in the 1990s. Headley was born in Stourbridge and comes from a famous cricketing family, being ...

Old Hill * Eddie Hemmings * Graeme Hick Kidderminster *

Robin Hobbs Robin Nicholas Stuart Hobbs (born 8 May 1942) is a former English cricketer, who played in seven Tests for England from 1967 to 1971. He played first-class cricket for both Essex and Glamorgan. Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, remarked, "Hobbs ...

Duport * Eric Hollies Old Hill, West Bromwich Dartmouth * Martin Horton Stourbridge * Harry Howell *

Dick Howorth Richard Howorth (26 April 1909 – 2 April 1980) was an English cricketer who played as an all-rounder for Worcestershire County Cricket Club between 1933 and 1951. Chiefly remembered as a left-arm orthodox spin bowler, Howorth also occasionall ...

Old Hill, Stourbridge, Walsall *

Geoff Humpage Geoffrey William Humpage (born 24 April 1954 in Sparkbrook, Birmingham) is a former England cricketer who played in three One Day Internationals in 1981. Humpage played in county cricket as a hard-hitting middle-order batsman and wicketkeeper f ...

Moseley Ashfield *

Kenneth Hutchings Kenneth Lotherington Hutchings (7 December 1882 – 3 September 1916) was an English amateur cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team between 1902 and 1912. He was primarily a batsman who played a major ro ...

* Richard Illingworth Barnt Green, Old Elizabethans, Worcester City * John Jameson *

Roly Jenkins Roly Jenkins (24 November 1918 – 22 July 1995) was an English cricketer, almost exclusively for Worcestershire County Cricket Club as a leg spinner in the period immediately after World War II. Along with Doug Wright and Eric Hollies, Jenk ...

West Bromwich Dartmouth * Arthur Jones *

Don Kenyon Donald Kenyon (15 May 1924 – 12 November 1996) was an English first-class cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1951 to 1955. He captained Worcestershire between 1959 and 1967. Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, noted, "A polis ...

Stourbridge * Sep Kinneir * David Larter *

Wayne Larkins Wayne Larkins (born 22 November 1953) is an English former cricketer, who represented Northamptonshire, Durham and Bedfordshire as an opening batsman throughout his career. He was selected to play for England as Graham Gooch's opening partne ...

Leamington *

Dick Lilley Arthur Frederick Augustus Lilley (28 November 1866 – 17 November 1929), variously known as Dick Lilley or A. A. Lilley, was an English professional cricketer who played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club from 1888 to 1911, and in 35 Test ma ...

* Andy Lloyd * Jim McConnon * Tim Munton *

Phil Newport Philip John Newport (born 11 October 1962 in High Wycombe) is a former English first-class cricketer, who played primarily as a seam and swing bowler. Newport was a stalwart of Worcestershire County Cricket Club for most of the 1980s and 19 ...

Kidderminster Victoria * Morris Nichols *

Alan Oakman Alan Stanley Myles Oakman (20 April 1930 – 6 September 2018) was an English first-class cricketer. He had a long career for Sussex, playing 538 first-class matches over a 21-year period, and played two Test matches for England. He also ump ...

* George Paine * Charles Palmer Old Hill * Reg Perks Dudley, Kidderminster, West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Kevin Pietersen Kevin Peter Pietersen (born 27 June 1980) is a cricket commentator, conservationist, and former England international cricket player. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who played in all three formats for England bet ...

Cannock * Dick Pollard * Willie Quaife *

Neal Radford Neal Victor Radford (born 7 June 1957) is an English former first-class cricketer, who appeared in three Tests and six ODIs for England. Radford was born at Luanshya in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). He played domestically for Transvaal, ...

Evesham, Stratford-upon-Avon *

Steve Rhodes Steven John Rhodes (born 17 June 1964) is an English cricket coach and former cricketer. He was the former coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team. He was best known as a wicket-keeper, but was also a useful number six or seven batsman, ...

* Dick Richardson Old Hill, Stourbridge * Peter Richardson Stourbridge * Fred Root Dudley * Fred Rumsey Kidderminster *

Frank Smailes Thomas Francis Smailes (27 March 1910 – 1 December 1970) was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and one Test match for England. He was one of Yorkshire's main players in the club's outs ...

* Gladstone Small Knowle & Dorridge * Mike Smith * Neil Smith Leamington * Peter Smith West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Vikram Solanki Vikram Singh Solanki (born 1 April 1976) is an English cricket coach and former first-class cricketer. In limited over international cricket, he played over 50 One Day Internationals for England as a batsman and occasional off-spinner. In coun ...

Wolverhampton * David Steele West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Olly Stone Oliver Peter Stone (born 9 October 1993) is an English cricketer who currently plays for Nottinghamshire and England. Stone is a right-arm fast bowler and right-handed batsman. He was born in Norwich, Norfolk and was educated at Thorpe St Andre ...

Barnt Green *

Maurice Tate Maurice William Tate (30 May 1895 – 18 May 1956) was an English cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s and the leader of England's Test bowling attack for a long time during this period. He was also the first Sussex cricketer to take a wicket with ...

Roy Tattersall Roy Tattersall (17 August 1922 – 9 December 2011) was an English cricketer who played for Lancashire and played sixteen Tests for England as a specialist off spin bowler. He was born at Tonge Moor, Bolton, Lancashire, England. Tattersa ...

Kidderminster *

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...

Kidderminster Victoria, Shrewsbury * Les Taylor West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Jonathan Trott Ian Jonathan Leonard Trott (born 22 April 1981) is a South African-born English former professional cricketer who played international cricket for the England cricket team. Domestically, he played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club as well as ...

Harborne *

Jim Troughton Jamie Oliver Troughton (born 2 March 1979) is an English cricket coach and former cricketer. He is currently Assistant Coach at Surrey, and as a player was mainly an attack-minded left-handed batsman and an occasional slow left-arm orthodox bow ...

Stratford-upon-Avon * Abe Waddington West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Arthur Wellard Arthur William Wellard (8 April 1902 in Southfleet, Kent – 31 December 1980 in Eastbourne, Sussex) was a cricketer who played for Somerset and England. A late starter in county cricket, having been told by his native county, Kent, that he wo ...

* David "Butch" White * Bob Willis * Chris Woakes Walmley * Bob Wyatt Moseley

Overseas players

ICC Full Member Nations

Australia * Greg Matthews Old Hill *

Tom Moody Thomas Masson Moody (born 2 October 1965) is a former Australian international cricketer and current Director of Cricket of Sri Lanka Cricket. He ended his long tenure with the Indian Premier League team Sunrisers Hyderabad in August 2022 and ...

Simon O'Donnell Simon Patrick O'Donnell (born 26 January 1963) is an Australian former cricketer, VFL footballer, and horse racing and cricket commentator. He is currently a horse breeder and enabler. He is a former record holder for the fastest One Day Inte ...

* Chris Rogers Wellington *

Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger Waugh (born 2 June 1965) is an Australian former international cricketer and twin brother of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a medium-pace bowler. As Australian captain from 1997 to 2004, he led Austral ...

Smethwick *

Graham Yallop Graham Neil Yallop (born 7 October 1952) is a former Australian international cricketer. Yallop played Test and One Day International cricket for the Australia national cricket team between 1976 and 1984, captaining the side briefly during the W ...

Walsall South Africa *

Peter Carlstein Peter Rudolph Carlstein (born 28 October 1938) is a former South African cricketer who played as a middle-order batsman in eight Test matches from 1958 to 1964. Career Carlstein made his first-class debut at the age of 16 for Orange Free Stat ...

Old Hill *

Allan Donald Allan Anthony Donald (born 20 October 1966) is a South African former cricketer who is also the current bowling coach of Bangladesh national cricket team. Often nicknamed 'White Lightning' due to his lightning quick bowling, he is considered ...

Knowle & Dorridge *

Clive Eksteen Clive Edward Eksteen (born 2 December 1966) played seven Test matches and six One Day Internationals for South Africa. In sixteen seasons at Transvaal (later Gauteng) he took 398 wickets at 30.05, also captaining the team for three seasons. ...

* JP Fellows-Smith West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Anthonie Ferreira Anthonie Michal Ferreira (born 13 April 1955) is a former South African first-class cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each ...

(Unofficial) * Claude Henderson *

Ryan McLaren Ryan McLaren (born 9 February 1983) is a South African professional cricketer, who plays for all formats in international level. He is a left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. McClaren signed a contract with English County side ...

Knowle & Dorridge *

Brian McMillan Brian Mervin McMillan (born 22 December 1963) played 38 Test matches and 78 One Day Internationals for South Africa from 1991 to 1998. He was rated by many as the best all-rounder in the world in the mid-1990s, and won South African Cricket ...

Senuran Muthusamy Senuran Muthusamy (born 22 February 1994) is a South African cricketer. He made his international debut for the South Africa cricket team in October 2019. Muthusamy can trace his ancestry to India, with family in Nagapattinam. Domestic career H ...

Brockhampton * Hugh Page (Unofficial) *

Sid Pegler Sidney James Pegler (28 July 1888 – 10 September 1972) was a South African cricketer. He emerged following the decline of their googly bowlers Vogler and Schwarz in the early 1910s. Although Pegler only played a few first-class matches in So ...

* Roy Pienaar Kidderminster * Dewald Pretorius Moseley * Mike Rindel Smethwick, West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Herbie Taylor Herbert Wilfred Taylor (5 May 1889 – 8 February 1973) was a South African cricketer who played 42 Test matches for his country including 18 as captain of the side. Specifically a batsman, he was an expert on the matting pitches which wer ...

* Thami Tsolekile Coventry & North Warwickshire West Indies *

Fabian Allen Fabian Allen (born 7 May 1995) is a Jamaican cricketer. He made his first-class debut for Jamaica in the 2016–17 Regional Four Day Competition on 25 November 2016. Prior to his first-class debut, he was part of the West Indies squad for the ...

Worcester * Carlos Brathwaite Knowle & Dorridge *

Colin Croft Colin Everton Hunte Croft (born 15 March 1953) is a former West Indian international cricketer. Cricket career Croft was (along with Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Joel Garner) part of the potent West Indian quartet of fast bowlers from ...

Shane Dowrich Shane Omari Dowrich (born 30 October 1991) is a Barbadian international cricketer who plays as a wicket-keeper. He has featured for the West Indies, Barbados along with CPL teams St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Barbados Tridents in his cricke ...

Leamington Spa * George Headley *

Ron Headley Ronald George Alphonso Headley (born 29 June 1939) is a former West Indian cricketer who played in two Tests and one ODI in 1973. An opening batsman, in first-class cricket he scored 21,695 runs at an average of 31.12, with 32 hundreds and a hi ...

Dudley, Old Hill, Stourbridge *

Vanburn Holder Vanburn Alonzo Holder (born 10 October 1945) is a Barbadian former first-class cricketer who played in 40 Test matches and 12 One Day Internationals for the West Indies cricket team between 1969 and 1979. A fast-medium bowler, he bowled alo ...

West Bromwich Dartmouth * Alvin Kallicharan * Collis King * Frank King West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Lincoln Roberts Lincoln Roberts (born 4 September 1974) is a former cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails ba ...

Himley * Alfred Scott West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Phil Simmons Philip Verant Simmons (born 18 April 1963) is a Trinidadian cricket coach and former cricketer who was an all-rounder played as an opening batsman, a medium-fast bowler and a slip fielder. He is the current coach of the West Indies cricket ...

Wellington *

Dwayne Smith Dwayne Romel Smith (born 12 April 1983) is a former Barbadian international cricketer who has represented the West Indies in all three formats of the game. An all-rounder, he is known as an aggressive and powerful right-handed batsman, bowls m ...

Kington *

Jerome Taylor Jerome Everton Taylor (born 22 June 1984) is a Jamaican cricketer who has played as a fast bowler for the West Indies. Taylor eventually picked up 100 wickets for the Windies in both tests and odis. During 2017 he reversed an initial decision t ...

Barnards Green * Alf Valentine New Zealand * Ian Butler Harborne *

Stewie Dempster Charles Stewart Dempster (15 November 1903 – 14 February 1974) was a New Zealand Test cricketer and coach. As well as representing New Zealand, he also played for Wellington, Scotland, Leicestershire and Warwickshire. Early life Born to a Sc ...

* Martin Donnelly *

Jamie How Jamie Michael How (born 19 May 1981) is a former cricketer who has played Test match, One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket for New Zealand. He attended Palmerston North Boys' High School. In New Zealand domestic cricket, ...

Walsall * Warren Lees * Bill Merritt *

Jimmy Neesham James Douglas Sheahan Neesham (born 17 September 1990), better known as Jimmy Neesham, is a New Zealand international cricketer who has played for New Zealand cricket team. He currently plays in various T20 leagues around the globe as an All-ro ...

West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Michael Papps Michael Hugh William Papps (born 2 July 1979) is a former New Zealand cricketer. In October 2016, he became the first player to score 10,000 runs in the Plunket Shield. In April 2018, he announced his retirement from the game. Domestic career ...

Walsall * John Parker Kidderminster * Dipak Patel Dudley, West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Barry Sinclair Barry Whitley Sinclair (23 October 1936 – 10 July 2022) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played 21 Test matches for New Zealand national team as a specialist batsman from 1962–63 to 1967–68, and captained the team from 1966 to 1968. ...

* Don Taylor West Bromwich Dartmouth * Glenn Turner Stourbridge *

Roger Twose Roger Graham Twose (born 17 April 1968) is an English-born former cricketer, who played 16 Test matches and 87 One Day Internationals for New Zealand in the mid-1990s. In February 2021, Twose was appointed as the director of New Zealand Cri ...

West Bromwich Dartmouth *

George Worker George Herrick Worker (born 23 August 1989) is a New Zealand international cricketer. He was named in New Zealand's squad for their tour to Zimbabwe in August 2015, after Mitchell Santner was ruled out due to injury. He made his Twenty20 Inte ...

Knowle & Dorridge India * Sairaj Bahutule Wolverhampton * Shiv Sunder Das Harborne * Dilip Doshi Walsall * Wasim Jaffer Himley * Amar Singh Pakistan * Abid Ali West Bromwich Dartmouth * Azhar Mahmood Smethwick *

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confiden ...

Stourbridge * Mohammad Akram Smethwick * Mohammad Yousuf Smethwick, Evesham * Mushtaq Mohammad Old Hill * Saqlain Mushtaq Evesham * Sadiq Mohammad * Shahid Saeed Evesham *

Shoaib Akhtar Shoaib Akhtar (; ; born 13 August 1975) is a Pakistani former cricketer and commentator. Nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express", he was the first bowler to be recorded bowling at 100 miles per hour, a feat he achieved twice in his career. Ak ...

Berkswell *

Wasim Akram Wasim Akram HI (; born 3 June 1966) is a Pakistani cricket commentator, coach, and former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Akram is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, and several crit ...

Smethwick, Aston Unity Sri Lanka *

Dinusha Fernando Kandana Arachchige Dinusha Manoj Fernando (born 10 August 1979), or Dinusha Fernando, is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. Domestic career He made his Twenty20 debut on 17 August 2004, for S ...

Brockhampton * Somachandra de Silva West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Champaka Ramanayake Champaka Priyadarshana Hewage Ramanayake (born January 8, 1965, in Galle), or Champaka Ramanayake, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 62 ODIs from 1986 to 1995. Champaka is a highly experienced and respected intern ...

West Bromwich Dartmouth *

Malinda Warnapura Basnayake Shalith Malinda Warnapura (born 26 May 1979), or Malinda Warnapura, is a former professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played in 14 Test matches and three One Day Internationals. He is a left-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bo ...

Halesowen Zimbabwe *

Tendai Chisoro Tendai Chisoro (born 12 February 1988) is a Zimbabwean cricketer who represents the Zimbabwe national cricket team. He made his international debut for Zimbabwe in October 2015. Domestic career Chisoro was the leading wicket-taker in the 2017� ...

Fordhouses *

Dion Ebrahim Dion Digby Ebrahim (born 7 August 1980) is a former Zimbabwean cricketer, who played Tests and ODIs. He now lives in New Zealand where he works as a cricket coach. International career A graduate of the CFX Academy in Harare, Ebrahim was consid ...

West Bromwich Dartmouth * Andy Flower West Bromwich Dartmouth * Grant Flower Barnt Green *

Travis Friend Travis John Friend (born 7 January 1981) is a former Zimbabwean international cricketer and commercial pilot. During his short international career. he made sporadic appearances for Zimbabwe having played only 13 test matches and 51 ODI matches ...

Knowle & Dorridge * Trevor Garwe Wellington * David Houghton West Bromwich Dartmouth * Dougie Marillier Bedworth, Kenilworth Wardens * Gus Mackay Barnt Green, West Bromwich Dartmouth * Mpumelelo "Pommie" Mbangwa Coventry & North Warwickshire * Waddington Mwayenga Worcester * Edward Rainsford Berkswell * Paul Strang Barnt Green *

Tatenda Taibu Tatenda Taibu (born 14 May 1983) is a former Zimbabwean cricketer who captained the Zimbabwe national cricket team. He is a wicket-keeper-batsman. From 6 May 2004 to 5 September 2019, he held the record for being the youngest test captain in his ...

Worcester *

Mark Vermeulen Mark Andrew Vermeulen (born 2 March 1979) is a former Zimbabwean cricketer, who played Test matches and One Day Internationals. He is a right-handed opening batsman and occasional off spin bowler. Domestic career He was former captain of Z ...

Fordhouses *

Dirk Viljoen Dirk Peter Viljoen (born 11 March 1977, in Enkeldoorn – now Chivhu) is a former cricketer who played 2 Tests and 53 One Day Internationals for Zimbabwe. An allrounder, Viljoen bowled slow left arm orthodox and batted in the middle order, left ...

Barnt Green Bangladesh * Enamul Haque Jr Wolverhampton Ireland (& England) *

Boyd Rankin William Boyd Rankin (born 5 July 1984) is a Northern Irish former cricketer who played international cricket for Ireland, and briefly also played for England. He is a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He is the brother of fellow cricketer David Ra ...

Moseley

ICC Associate Nations

Namibia * Jan-Berry Burger Knowle and Dorridge *

Gerrie Snyman Gerrie Snyman (born 30 April 1981) is a Namibian former cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He played five One Day Internationals in the Cricket W ...

Tamworth, Walsall * Christi Viljeon Aston Manor Netherlands *

Ben Cooper Ben Cooper (September 30, 1933 – February 24, 2020) was an American actor of film and television, who won a Golden Boot Award in 2005 for his work in westerns. Stage Cooper appeared on Broadway in '' Life With Father'' (1939). He debuted in ...

Stratford-upon-Avon * Tim Gruijters Walmley Scotland *

Navdeep Poonia Navdeep Singh Poonia (born 11 May 1986) is a Scottish cricket player. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium fast bowler. He has played One Day Internationals for Scotland, and was selected for his country for the 2007 Cricket World C ...

Old Hill, West Bromwich Dartmouth * Calum MacLeod Walmley

External links

Official website

play-cricket website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birmingham And District Premier League English domestic cricket competitions 1888 establishments in England Sport in Birmingham, West Midlands ECB Premier Leagues