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 Mercury Security & Facilities Management and marketed as the Mercury Premier League, Mercury Section 1, etc.
There are a total of 36 league members: 10 in the Premier League; 10 in Section 1; 8 in Section 2 and 8 in Section 3. There is promotion and relegation of one club 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 33 wins (6 shared). The current champions are Waringstown after winning the 2026 competition.
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 2026 season As of 2026, the clubs in the NCU Senior League included: Premier LeagueSection 1Section 2Section 3C.I.Y.M.S. Civil Service North of Ireland Cliftonville Academy Instonians Laurelvale Lisburn North Down Muckamore Waringstown WoodvaleArmagh Bangor Carrickfergus Cooke Collegians Cregagh Derriaghy Donaghcloney Mill Lurgan Saintfield TemplepatrickArdent Blues Ballymena Belfast B.I.S.C. Downpatrick Dunmurry Holywood LarneAmigos Belfast Arches Ards & Donaghadee Belfast Superkings Dundrum Drumaness Superkings NIMACC Victoria
Source: Northern Cricket Union
List of champions SeasonChampions1897North Down1898North Down1899North of Ireland1900North of Ireland1901Holywood1902North of Ireland1903North of Ireland1904North of Ireland1905North of Ireland1906North Down1907North of Ireland1908North of Ireland1909Holywood1910North Down1911Waringstown1912Holywood1913Banbridge1914Holywood1919North Down1920Cliftonville1921North Down1922Ulster1923North of Ireland1924Waringstown1925Waringstown1926Cliftonville1927North Down1928Armagh1929North Down1930North Down1931Armagh1932North Down1933Lisburn1934North Down1935Woodvale1936North Down1937Lisburn1938Cliftonville1939Armagh1940North of Ireland1941Lisburn1942Lisburn1943Woodvale1944Waringstown1945Cregagh1946North of Ireland1947Cregagh1948Woodvale1949Waringstown1950Lisburn1951Lisburn1952Lisburn1953Waringstown1954North of Ireland1955Woodvale1956Holywood1957North of Ireland1958Holywood and Woodvale (shared)1959Queen's University1960North of Ireland1961North of Ireland1962Instonians1963Lisburn and North of Ireland (shared)1964Lisburn1965North of Ireland1966Woodvale1967Waringstown1968Downpatrick1969Lisburn1970Muckamore and Waringstown (shared)1971North of Ireland and Waringstown (shared)1972Waringstown1973Waringstown1974Downpatrick1975Downpatrick1976Waringstown1977Waringstown1978Waringstown1979Waringstown1980Lisburn1981Waringstown1982Waringstown1983Downpatrick1984Waringstown1985Waringstown1986Downpatrick and North of Ireland (shared)1987North of Ireland1988Waringstown1989North of Ireland and Waringstown (shared)1990Lurgan and North of Ireland (shared)1991Waringstown1992Waringstown1993Lisburn1994Downpatrick1995Cliftonville1996Cliftonville and Lisburn (shared)1997Cliftonville1998Ballymena1999North Down2000Waringstown2001North Down2002North Down2003North Down2004Bangor2005North Down and Waringstown (shared)2006Waringstown2007North Down2008North Down2009Instonians and Waringstown (shared)2010North Down2011North Down2012CIYMSHistoric CIYMS crowned NCU Premier Champions, News-Letter, 10 September 20122013Instonians and Waringstown (shared)News Letter, 2 September 20132014InstoniansNews Letter, 15 September 20142015WaringstownNorthern Cricket Union2016InstoniansNorthern Cricket Union2017WaringstownCricket Europe2018CIYMSNews Letter2019CIYMSNCU2020North DownNews Letter2021WaringstownCricket Europe2022LisburnNews Letter2023InstoniansBelfast Telegraph2024Waringstownhttps://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/cricket/graham-humes-half-century-helps-waringstown-secure-premier-league-title-glory-while-carrickfergus-are-relegated-47643862025InstoniansCricket Europe2026 WaringstownBelfast Telegraph
Performance by club
Summary of winners TeamWinsWaringstown33 (6 shared)North Down24 (1 shared)North of Ireland20 (5 shared)Lisburn14 (2 shared)Cliftonville6 (1 shared)Downpatrick6 (1 shared)Holywood6 (1 shared)Woodvale6 (1 shared)Instonians6 (2 shared)Armagh3CIYMS3Cregagh2Ballymena1Banbridge1Bangor1Queen's University1Ulster1Lurgan1 (shared)Muckamore1 (shared)
See also NCU Challenge Cup NCU Junior Cup Irish Senior Cup Leinster Senior League Ulster Cup North West Senior League
References
External links Northern Cricket Union