Victorian Premier Cricket


Victorian Premier Cricket is a club cricket competition in the state of Victoria administered by Cricket Victoria. Each club fields four teams of adult players and usually play on weekends and public holidays. Matches are played on turf wickets under limited-time rules, with most results being decided on a first-innings basis. Outstanding players in the competition are selected to play for the Victorian Bushrangers at first-class and List A level, in the Sheffield Shield and Marsh One Day Cup competitions respectively. The competition commenced in the 1906–07 season when it was known as "District cricket", and was renamed in 1990. Separate competitions for one-day matches and Twenty20 were later established.

History

Inter-club cricket in Melbourne had its beginnings during the 1850s, with matches arranged on an informal basis. The newspapers usually decided the season's best team via the consensus of journalists. In 1870, the Challenge Cup was introduced, beginning an era of more structured competition.
For the 1889–90 season, a program of Pennant Matches was devised over eight rounds, which began the era of club competition recognisable today. The original competing teams were Carlton, East Melbourne, Essendon, Fitzroy, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda, South Melbourne, University and Williamstown. There were no restriction on the recruitment of players and the stronger clubs attracted the leading players, and other teams remained very weak. By the turn of the twentieth century, the unevenness of the competition resulted in a lack of public support.
The solution was found in "electorate" or "District" cricket whereby players needed a residential qualification to play for their club. In 1903, a VCA sub-committee recommended the implementation of the system. Due to many differences of opinion, District cricket did not commence until 1906.
The twelve inaugural District teams were Carlton, Collingwood, East Melbourne, Essendon, Fitzroy, Hawksburn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda, South Melbourne and University. A promotion and relegation system between two grades was originally envisioned, and the premier club of second grade, Northcote, was promoted for 1907–08. However, last-placed Collingwood was not relegated and the idea dispensed with. The second grade was re-constituted as the Victorian Sub-District competition, comprising Brighton, Caulfield, Coburg, Elsternwick, Hawthorn, Malvern, Port Melbourne and Williamstown.
The uneven number of teams necessitated a bye, which remained 1929–30 when the VCA Colts team was included. The Colts team competed for eleven seasons but disbanded during World War II. Matches continued through the war and Footscray was admitted for 1948–49 to eliminate the bye. The next expansion occurred in 1974 when two clubs representing outer-suburban areas, Ringwood and Waverley, were promoted from Sub-District. Eighteen sides have participated since 1993–94 when teams from Geelong and the Mornington Peninsula were admitted. The finals system, previously consisting of four teams, was enlarged to a final six in 1997–98 season, later changing to a final eight.

Current clubs

Premierships correct to the end of 2019/20 season.

Ryder Medal

First presented in 1972–73, the award for the best player of the season is named after Jack Ryder, the former Australian captain who had a long and distinguished career with Collingwood.
SeasonPlayerTeamBiography link
1972–73Ron BirdCollingwood
1973–74John GrantEssendon
1974–75John GrantEssendon
1975–76Keith StackpoleCarlton
1976–77John ShepherdFootscray
1977–78Keith StackpoleCarlton
1978–79Keith StackpoleCarlton
1979–80Barry WatsonFootscray
1980–81Gary CosierNorthcote
1981–82Mick TaylorSouth Melbourne
1982–83John DouglasCarlton
1983–84Trevor LaughlinCollingwood
1984–85Andrew WildsmithNorthcote
1985–86Michael EphraimsPrahran
1986–87Warren WhitesideSt Kilda
1987–88Wayne N. PhillipsSouth Melbourne
1988–89Richard McCarthyNorth Melbourne
1989–90Warren WhitesideSt Kilda
1990–91Warren WhitesideSt Kilda
1991–92Mark RidgwayFitzroy/Doncaster
1992–93Mark LeehaneEssendon
1993–94Gary WattsFitzroy/Doncaster
1994–95Warren AyresMelbourne
1995–96Brendan JoyceFitzroy/Doncaster
1996–97Ian WrigglesworthCarlton
1997–98PQ HarperUniversity
1998–99Abdul QadirCarlton
1999–2000Carl HooperCarlton
2000–01
Paul Collingwood
DM Dempsey		Richmond
Ringwood
2001–02Warren AyresMelbourne
2002–03CBD StreetFitzroy/Doncaster
2003–04
RA Bartlett
Adam Dale		Northcote
North Melbourne
2004–05Simon DartHawthorn/Monash Uni.
2005–06
MD Allen
Graeme Rummans		Carlton
St Kilda
2006–07Graeme RummansSt Kilda
2007–08Steven SpoljaricHawthorn/Monash Uni.
2008–09Gareth CrossSt Kilda
2009–10Graeme RummansSt Kilda
2010–11Theo DoropoulosNorthcote
2011–12Clive RoseCasey-South Melbourne
2012–13Brenton McDonaldMelbourne
2013–14James MillerPrahran
2014–15Ian HollandRingwood
2015–16Steve TaylorNorthcote
2016–17Brendan DrewCamberwell
2017–18Trent LawfordFitzroy Doncaster
2018–19Brett ForsythDandenong

John Scholes Medal

Presented in season 2001–02 under the name of Cricket Victoria Medal, the John Scholes medal is awarded to the best player in the Victorian Premier Cricket 1st XI final. The name was changed for the 2003–04 season.
SeasonPlayerTeam
2001–02JL TravagliaFitz Donc
2002–03GC RummansSt Kilda
2003–04GC RummansSt Kilda
2004–05TDB O'SullivanSt Kilda
2005–06M KlingerSt Kilda
2006–07PM BorastonDandenong
2007–08MR KingRingwood
2008–09ST GilmourRingwood
2009–10RJ CooperMelbourne
2010–11JL PattinsonDandenong
2011–12WD SheridanRichmond
2012–13Matthew BegbieMelbourne CC
2013–14S DissanayakaFootscray-Edgewater
2014–15Ian HollandRingwood
2015–16Peter DicksonFitzroy Doncaster
2016–17Matthew BrownMelbourne
2017–18Peter SiddleDandenong
2018–19Evan GulbisCarlton
2019–20Final not contested

Amalgamations

In the post-war period, the competition has faced the challenge of periodic restructuring to reflect the growing metropolitan area of Melbourne. This has been achieved by amalgamating and relocating clubs. In 1985 Fitzroy moved its base to Doncaster, forming Fitzroy/Doncaster. Similarly, in 1989, Hawthorn/East Melbourne relocated to Glen Waverley in the eastern suburbs, and was later renamed Hawthorn/Waverley in 1994. The club merged with Sub-District club Monash University, to become Hawthorn/Monash University seven years later. The move of Hawthorn/East Melbourne caused Waverley to move to Dandenong, and the new team played as Waverley/Dandenong, but dropped Waverley from its name for the 1994–95 season.
Two more inner-suburban clubs have reorganised. Prior to the 1996–97 season, Collingwood left Victoria Park and amalgamated with Sub-District club Camberwell to become Camberwell Magpies based at the Camberwell Sports Ground, while prior to the 2000–01 season, Footscray became Footscray/Victoria University. The latter club is now known as Footscray Edgewater due to a unique business partnership with the residential development adjoining its home ground, the Merv Hughes Oval.

Administration

Victorian Premier Cricket is run by the Cricket Victoria's Pennant Committee, which deals with grounds, fixtures, playing dates, venues, umpires, ladders, player eligibility and registrations, disputes, rules changes etc. The Pennant Committee comprises five delegates elected at the AGM of Cricket Victoria held every August. Currently, the members are Russell Thomas, Kevan Carroll, John Malligan, John McConville and Ken Stone. Matters concerning player behaviour are dealt with a tribunal convened by Cricket Victoria and is made up of an independent chairman two Pennant Committee members, providing that their club is not involved in the match in question.