ECB National Club Competition
Every year the ECB organise a national knockout club competition for the Under 13 and Under 15 age groups and you may be surprised to hear that Hertfordshire enter sides into these competitions. ECB directives dictate that the four clubs that make the respective previous year's HJL Finals Day play off the following year to see who will represent Hertfordshire.
The competition starts off by region and then culminates in National Finals Days in July and August (although the full dates for 2015 are still to be announced).
Last year the Herts representatives were Kings Langley at Under 13, who beat Finchley from the Middlesex League, before losing to High Wycombe, the Bucks representative. The competition was won by Old Northamptonians.
At Under 15, Harpenden represented Herts but lost to Hutton from Essex in the first round in a competition eventually won by Guildford from the Surrey league. Both King's Langley and Harpenden happened to be the respective Herts champions at U12 and U14 from the previous year.
Whilst sides from first class counties tend to win the competitions sides from smaller counties have won in the past such as Lindum (Linconshire) in 2011 and Cambridge Granta (Cambridgeshire) at Under 15 plus High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire) in 2011 and Wolverhampton (Staffordshire) in 2009 at Under 13. Therefore let us hope that we can have a Hertfordshire competing at the National Finals Day in the near future!
This year Hertfordshire will be represented by one of West Herts (2014 Under 12 Champions), Hertford, St Albans and Broxbourne at Under 13 and one of Bishop's Stortford (2014 Under 14 Champions), Radlett, West Herts and Harpenden at Under 15.
For more information about each of the competitions please visit the following websites