Editing Pro40

{{Short description|Former one-day cricket league in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Lacking overview|date=March 2024}}
{{Recentism|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox cricket tournament main
| country = England and Wales
| administrator = [[England and Wales Cricket Board]]
| cricket format = [[Limited overs cricket]]
| first = 1969
| last = 2009
| participants = 18 (2 leagues of 9)
| champions = [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]]
| most successful = [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]], [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]], [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]] <small>(5 titles each)</small>
| website = [http://www.ecb.co.uk/domestic/natwest-pro40/ ECB Natwest Pro40 website]
}}

The '''NatWest Pro40 League''' was a [[Limited overs cricket|one-day cricket]] league for first-class cricket counties in England and Wales. It was inaugurated in 1999, but was essentially the old '''Sunday League''' retitled to reflect large numbers of matches being played on days other than Sunday.

==Sunday League==
The Sunday League was launched in 1969, as the second one-day competition in England and Wales alongside the [[Friends Provident Trophy|Gillette Cup]] (launched in 1963). Sponsored by [[John Player & Sons]], the league was called '''John Player's County League''' (1969), the '''John Player League''' (1970–83), then the '''John Player Special League''' (1984–86). The 17 counties of the time played each other in a league format on Sunday afternoons throughout the season. These matches were concise enough to be shown on television, with [[BBC Two|BBC2]] broadcasting one match each week in full until 1980, and then as part of the ''[[Grandstand (TV series)|Sunday Grandstand]]'' multi-sport programme. For close finishes for the title, cameras appeared at the grounds where the contenders for the title were competing and the trophy presentation to the victorious team would be on film.

[[Refuge Assurance Company|Refuge Assurance]] replaced John Player Special as the sponsor of the competition, called the '''Refuge Assurance League''', in 1987. In 1988 they introduced an end-of-season play-off competition known as the '''Refuge Assurance Cup'''. The top four teams of the league season qualified for this competition, with the first-placed team playing the fourth and the second-placed team playing the third, and the winners of these matches meeting in a final at a [[Home advantage#Neutral venues|neutral venue]]. This competition lasted until 1991.

On Friday 5 July 1991, [[Somerset County Cricket Club|Somerset]] played [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]] at [[County Ground, Taunton|Taunton]] in the first Sunday League match not to be played on a Sunday.<ref>Benson and Hedges Cricket Year September 1990 to September 1991 (p. 325)</ref>

The Sunday League was not sponsored in 1992 ([[Durham County Cricket Club|Durham]] making its debut in the competition this season), but in 1993 [[AXA|AXA Equity and Law]] became the sponsor. The matches this season were 50 overs per innings. The first round of matches that took place on 9 May 1993 were the first official matches in England to be played in coloured clothing and with a white ball. The following season the competition reverted to 40 overs per innings. On Wednesday 23 July 1997 [[Warwickshire County Cricket Club|Warwickshire]] played Somerset at [[Edgbaston Cricket Ground|Edgbaston]] in the first competitive county game to be played under floodlights.<ref>[http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1997/ENG_LOCAL/SUNLG/R14/WARWICKS_SOMERSET_SUNLG_23JUL1997_MR Warwickshire v Somerset July 1997 – Electronic Telegraph]</ref>

==National League==
The National League was launched in 1999 with the 18 first-class counties split into two divisions with three teams promoted and relegated from each. The matches were played over 45 overs and the competition was sponsored by [[Norwich Union]]. Matches were spread over the week rather than Sundays only.

The counties incorporated nicknames into their official names for the National League, from 2002. For example, Kent became the 'Spitfires', Middlesex the 'Crusaders' and Lancashire were the 'Lightning'. The following season the [[Scotland national cricket team|Scotland Saltires]] took part in the League until 2005.

The [[Friends Provident Trophy|C & G Trophy]] was restructured, in 2006, from a knock-out competition to a round-robin league format, which took up the early part of the season. The National League was renamed the 'NatWest Pro40' and was played in the later part of the season with the teams playing each other once. Also, two teams instead of three were promoted to the first division and two relegated to the second division. A third promotion/relegation spot was determined in a play-off game between the team third from top in the second division and third from bottom team in the first.

==Replacement==
In July 2009, the ECB unveiled plans for a revamped county structure involving three competitions, one of which would replace both the Pro40 and the [[Friends Provident Trophy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/countycricket2009/content/story/416852.html |title=Counties could scrap 50-over cricket |publisher=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |date=29 July 2009 |access-date=27 August 2009}}</ref>

On 27 August 2009, this new competition was announced as a 40-overs-per-innings tournament, similar to the Pro40. The [[ECB 40]], also known as the Clydesdale Bank 40 for sponsorship reasons, would serve as one of the three competitions in county cricket for the next four years, along with the [[County Championship]] and the [[Friends Life t20|Friends Provident t20]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/422403.html |title=English game dumps 50-over cricket |publisher=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |date=27 August 2009 |access-date=27 August 2009}}</ref>

==Teams==
{{Recentism|section|date=March 2024}}
Division 1 teams in 2009:
* [[Durham County Cricket Club|Durham Dynamos]]
* [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex Eagles]]
* [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire Gladiators]]
* [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire Hawks]]
* [[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club|Nottinghamshire Outlaws]]
* [[Somerset County Cricket Club|Somerset Sabres]]
* [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex Sharks]]
* [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club|Worcestershire Royals]]
* [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire Carnegie]]

Division 2 teams in 2009:
* [[Derbyshire County Cricket Club|Derbyshire Phantoms]]
* [[Glamorgan County Cricket Club|Glamorgan Dragons]]
* [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent Spitfires]]
* [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire Lightning]]
* [[Leicestershire County Cricket Club|Leicestershire Foxes]]
* [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex Panthers]]
* [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northamptonshire Steelbacks]]
* [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey Brown Caps]]
* [[Warwickshire County Cricket Club|Warwickshire Bears]]

==Results==
{{Cleanup section|reason=Wrong order of years|date=March 2024}} 
===National League===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2| Season
! colspan=2| 1st Division
! colspan=2| 2nd Division
|-
! Champions
! Relegated
! Champions
! (Also) Promoted
|-
|colspan=5|'''[[NatWest]] Pro40'''
|-
|[[2009 NatWest Pro40|2009]]||Sussex||Not applicable||Warwickshire||Not applicable
|-
|[[2008 NatWest Pro40|2008]]||Sussex||Middlesex, Lancashire||Essex||Yorkshire
|-
|[[2007 NatWest Pro40|2007]]||Worcestershire||Warwickshire, Essex, Northamptonshire||Durham||Somerset, Middlesex<ref>Middlesex beat Northamptonshire in Play-Off match</ref>
|-
|[[2006 NatWest Pro 40|2006]]||Essex||Glamorgan, Durham, Middlesex||Gloucestershire||Worcestershire, Hampshire<ref>Hampshire beat Glamorgan in Play-Off match</ref>
|-
|colspan=5|'''[[The Tote|totesport]] League'''
|-
|[[2005 totesport League|2005]]||Essex||Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Hampshire||Sussex||Durham, Warwickshire
|-
|[[2004 totesport League|2004]]||Glamorgan||Warwickshire, Kent, Surrey||Middlesex||Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire
|-
|colspan=5|'''National League'''
|-
|[[2003 ECB National League|2003]]||Surrey||Leicestershire, Yorkshire, Worcestershire||Lancashire||Northamptonshire, Hampshire
|-
|colspan=5|'''[[Norwich Union]] League'''
|-
|[[2002 Norwich Union League|2002]]||Glamorgan||Somerset, Durham, Nottinghamshire||Gloucestershire||Surrey, Essex
|-
|[[2001 Norwich Union League|2001]]||Kent||Gloucestershire, Surrey, Northamptonshire||Glamorgan||Durham, Worcestershire
|-
|colspan=5|'''[[Norwich Union]] National League'''
|-
|[[2000 Norwich Union National League|2000]]||Gloucestershire||Worcestershire, Lancashire, Sussex||Surrey||Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire
|-
|colspan=5|'''CGU National League'''
|-
|[[1999 CGU National League|1999]]||Lancashire||Warwickshire, Hampshire, Essex||Sussex||Somerset, Northamptonshire
|}

===Sunday League===
'''AXA League'''
{|
| [[1998 AXA League|1998]] || Lancashire
|}
'''AXA Life League'''
{|
| [[1997 AXA Life League|1997]] || Warwickshire
|}
'''AXA Equity & Law League'''
{|
| [[1996 AXA Equity & Law League|1996]] || Surrey
|-
| [[1995 AXA Equity & Law League|1995]] || Kent
|-
| [[1994 AXA Equity & Law League|1994]] || Warwickshire
|-
| [[1993 AXA Equity & Law League|1993]] || Glamorgan
|}
'''Sunday League'''
{|
| [[1992 Sunday League|1992]] || Middlesex
|}

{|
| colspan=2|'''Refuge Assurance League''' | || colspan=2|'''Refuge Assurance Cup'''
|-
| [[1991 Refuge Assurance League|1991]] || Nottinghamshire || [[1991 Refuge Assurance Cup|1991]] || Worcestershire
|-
| [[1990 Refuge Assurance League|1990]] || Derbyshire || [[1990 Refuge Assurance Cup|1990]] || Middlesex
|-
| [[1989 Refuge Assurance League|1989]] || Lancashire || [[1989 Refuge Assurance Cup|1989]] || Essex
|-
| [[1988 Refuge Assurance League|1988]] || Worcestershire || [[1988 Refuge Assurance Cup|1988]] || Lancashire
|-
| [[1987 Refuge Assurance League|1987]] || Worcestershire
|}
'''John Player Special League'''
{|
| [[1986 John Player Special League|1986]] || Hampshire
|-
| [[1985 John Player Special League|1985]] || Essex
|-
| [[1984 John Player Special League|1984]] || Essex
|}
'''John Player League'''
{|
| [[1983 John Player League|1983]] || Yorkshire
|-
| [[1982 John Player League|1982]] || Sussex
|-
| [[1981 John Player League|1981]] || Essex
|-
| [[1980 John Player League|1980]] || Warwickshire
|-
| [[1979 John Player League|1979]] || Somerset
|-
| [[1978 John Player League|1978]] || Hampshire
|-
| [[1977 John Player League|1977]] || Leicestershire
|-
| [[1976 John Player League|1976]] || Kent
|-
| [[1975 John Player League|1975]] || Hampshire
|-
| [[1974 John Player League|1974]] || Leicestershire
|-
| [[1973 John Player League|1973]] || Kent
|-
| [[1972 John Player League|1972]] || Kent
|-
| [[1971 John Player League|1971]] || Worcestershire
|-
| [[1970 John Player League|1970]] || Lancashire
|}
'''John Player's County League'''
{|
| [[1969 Player's County League|1969]] ||Lancashire
|}

===Tournaments won by county===
{|
| Essex || 5
|-
| Kent || 5
|-
| Lancashire || 5
|-
| Worcestershire || 4
|-
| Glamorgan || 3
|-
| Hampshire || 3
|-
| Sussex || 3
|-
| Warwickshire || 3
|-
| Leicestershire || 2
|-
| Surrey || 2
|-
| Derbyshire || 1
|-
| Gloucestershire || 1
|-
| Middlesex || 1
|-
| Nottinghamshire || 1
|-
| Somerset || 1
|-
| Yorkshire || 1
|-
| Durham || 0
|-
| Northamptonshire || 0
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Cricket}}
* [[National League Division One in 2005]]
* [[National League Division Two in 2005]]
* [[County Championship]] – the domestic first class competition in England and Wales
* [[Friends Provident Trophy]] (formerly C&G Trophy) – the one-day knock out competition
* [[Twenty20 Cup]] – the short-form competition

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Official website|http://www.natwestseries.com/natwest_cricket.php }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060718114313/http://www.ecb.co.uk/domestic/natwest-pro40/ ECB Natwest Pro40 website]
* [http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1997/ENG_LOCAL/SUNLG/R14/WARWICKS_SOMERSET_SUNLG_23JUL1997_MR Warwickshire v Somerset July 1997 – Electronic Telegraph]

{{Cricket in England}}
{{Pro40 seasons}}

[[Category:Pro40| ]]
[[Category:English domestic cricket competitions]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1969]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:List A cricket competitions]]
[[Category:NatWest Group]]
[[Category:Defunct cricket competitions]]