# Kent Cricket League

The Kent Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Kent, England.
The league was founded in 1970 and the first season of play was 1971. The twelve founding clubs were Ashford, Aylesford Paper Mills, Dartford, Dover, Folkestone, Gore Court, Gravesend, Holmesdale, The Mote, St Lawrence and Highland Court, Sevenoaks Vine, and Tunbridge Wells.
Beckenham, Blackheath, and Bromley joined the league before the 1973 season. Aylesford Paper Mills left after the 1976 season but were replaced by Forest Hill, and then Bexley joined for the 1978 season. Forest Hill closed down in 1980, but Hayes (Kent) and Midland Bank (now New Beckenham) joined in 1982 to bring the number of clubs in the league up to seventeen.
A major change took place before the 1996 season, when the league absorbed the East Kent Cricket League and the South Thames Cricket League. A new structure with three divisions was introduced, and for the first time there was promotion and relegation.
From 1999 the Kent League was a designated ECB Premier League. From 1999 to 2002, the league experimented with matches played over two days on consecutive Saturdays and was the only ECB Premier League to do this, but it reverted to one day cricket in time for the 2003 season.
Until the 2019 season the Kent League had six divisions each containing ten clubs, and below these six divisions lay the Kent Regional Cricket League. The two leagues amalgamated in time for the 2023 season, when there was a total of thirty divisions.
The 2020 competition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Kent Cricket League was the only ECB Premier League in England which chose not to organise any kind of replacement competition for the later part of the season when cricket again became possible. Normal service was resumed when a full season of competitive matches was held in 2021.
The teams competing in the Premier Division in 2024 are expected to be Bexley, Bickley Park, Blackheath, Canterbury, Hayes, Lordswood, Minster, St Lawrence and Highland Court, Sandwich Town, and Tunbridge Wells.

## Champions

* YearClub League Champions 1971–1990 1971 Ashford 1972 Sevenoaks Vine 1973 St Lawrence and Highland Court 1974 The Mote 1975 The Mote 1976 Tunbridge Wells 1977 The Mote 1978 Sevenoaks Vine 1979 Holmesdale 1980 The Mote 1981 Dover 1982 Blackheath 1983 Beckenham 1984 Blackheath 1985 Ashford 1986 Dover 1987 Tunbridge Wells 1988 Tunbridge Wells 1989 Folkestone 1990 Gravesend
* YearClub League Champions 1991–2010 1991 Bromley 1992 Bromley 1993 Bromley 1994 St Lawrence and Highland Court 1995 The Mote 1996 Bexley 1997 Sevenoaks Vine 1998 St Lawrence and Highland Court 1999 The Mote 2000 St Lawrence and Highland Court 2001 Folkestone 2002 Bromley 2003 St Lawrence and Highland Court 2004 Bromley 2005 Bromley 2006 Bromley 2007 St Lawrence and Highland Court 2008 Hartley Country Club 2009 Bromley 2010 Bromley
* YearClub League Champions 2011–2023 2011 Hartley Country Club 2012 Hartley Country Club 2013 Hartley Country Club 2014 Sevenoaks Vine 2015 Hartley Country Club 2016 Hartley Country Club 2017 Beckenham 2018 Blackheath 2019 Beckenham 2020 no competition 2021 Bexley 2022 Hayes 2023 Lordswood

## Premier 1st XI Performance by season from 1999

Key :
| Gold | Champions |
| Blue | Left League |
| Red | Relegated |
Performance by season, from 1999 :
| Club | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Ashford | 5 | 8 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Beckenham | | 5 | | | | | | | | 4 | 10 | | | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 10 | |
| Beckenham and Sydenham | | | 9 | | | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bexley | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 9 | | | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Bickley Park | 6 | 9 | | | | | 2 | 7 | 9 | | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 10 | | | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 9 | |
| Blackheath | | | | | | | | 5 | 4 | 5 | 9 | | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Broadstairs | | | | | 8 | 10 | | | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bromley | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | | | | 10 | | |
| Bromley Common | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | | |
| Canterbury | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | 9 | | | | | 9 | | | |
| Dartford | | | 6 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | |
| Folkestone | 7 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | | |
| Gore Court | | | | | | 6 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hartley Country Club | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | | | | | |
| Hayes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 5 |
| Holmesdale | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | 9 | | 10 |
| HSBC | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | |
| Lordswood | | | | 6 | 5 | 9 | | | 6 | 9 | | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| Minster | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | 7 |
| The Mote | 1 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 10 | | | | | | | 4 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Orpington | | 10 | | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| St Lawrence and Highland Court | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 |
| Sandwich Town | | | | | | | 9 | | | 10 | | | | | | 8 | 9 | | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Sevenoaks Vine | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| Sibton Park | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Tenterden | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | 6 | 9 | | | | |
| Tunbridge Wells | 9 | | 8 | 8 | 9 | | | 8 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 10 | | | 7 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Whitstable | 10 | | | | 3 | 3 | 10 | | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | | | | |
| References | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* 1 2 Beckenham entered into a merger after the 2000 season and became Beckenham and Sydenham, but this merger was dissolved before the 2008 season and Beckenham took the place in the Premier Division.
* ↑ St Lawrence and Highland Court were relegated after the 2010 season because they did not have the required Clubmark accreditation.