Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 23, 2026

National Counties Trophy

The National Counties Cricket Association Knockout Cup was started in 1983 as a knockout one-day competition for the National Counties in English cricket. At first it was known as the English Industrial Estates Cup, before being called the Minor Counties Knock Out Competition from 1986 to 1987, the Holt Cup from 1988 to 1992, the MCC Trophy from 1993 to 1998, the ECB 38-County Cup from 1999 to 2002 and the MCCA Knockout Trophy from 2003 to 2005. It was called the MCCA Trophy from 2006 and 2019 until the Minor Counties were rebranded as National Counties in 2020.

Last revised
Jun 23, 2026
Read time
≈ 6 min
Length
1,397 w
Citations
42
Source
National Counties Trophy
CountriesEngland and Wales
AdministratorEngland and Wales Cricket Board
FormatLimited overs cricket
First edition1983
Number of teams20
Current championDorset
Most successfulBerkshire (8 titles)
WebsiteMCCA Knockout Trophy


The National Counties Cricket Association Knockout Cup was started in 1983 as a knockout one-day competition for the National Counties in English cricket. At first it was known as the English Industrial Estates Cup, before being called the Minor Counties Knock Out Competition from 1986 to 1987, the Holt Cup from 1988 to 1992, the MCC Trophy from 1993 to 1998, the ECB 38-County Cup from 1999 to 2002 and the MCCA Knockout Trophy from 2003 to 2005. It was called the MCCA Trophy from 2006 and 2019 until the Minor Counties were rebranded as National Counties in 2020.

From 1998 to 2002, the competition was contested by 38 teams and included a group stage. The traditional National counties, plus Huntingdonshire and the "cricket boards" of the 18 first-class counties, as well as a Channel Islands team. The 2002 competition, which was won by the Warwickshire Cricket Board, remains the only time a non-National county has won the competition. This format was discontinued after 2002 and the competition is again a purely National Counties affair.

The most successful county is Berkshire who have won the title eight times. The current champions, Dorset, defeated Shropshire in July 2025, winning their second trophy.

List of winners

Year Final Final Venue
Winner Result Runner-up
1983 Cheshire
228/6 (50 overs)
Cheshire won by 36 runs1 Bedfordshire
192 all out (48.2 overs)
Macclesfield Cricket Club Ground, Macclesfield
1984 Hertfordshire
107/7 (49.1 overs)
Hertfordshire won by 3 wickets2 Norfolk
106 all out (41.1 overs)
Fenner's, Cambridge
1985 Durham
229/9 (55 overs)
Durham won by 100 runs3 Dorset
129 all out (47.2 overs)
Fenner's, Cambridge
1986 Norfolk
223/8 (55 overs)
Norfolk won by 30 runs4 Hertfordshire
193 all out (50.4 overs)
Clarence Park, St Albans
1987 Cheshire
132/2 (47.4 overs)
Cheshire won by 8 wickets5 Cambridgeshire
131 all out (49.5 overs)
Christ Church Ground, Oxford
1988 Dorset
127/8 (49.2 overs)
Dorset won by 2 wickets6 Cambridgeshire
123/9 (50 overs)
Redlands Sports Ground, Weymouth
1989 Cumberland
191/1 (39.1 overs)
Cumberland won by 9 wickets7 Hertfordshire
188/7 (55 overs)
Lord's, London
1990 Buckinghamshire
227/7 (55 overs)
Buckinghamshire won by 16 runs8 Lincolnshire
211/9 (55 overs)
Lord's, London
1991 Staffordshire
241/6 (54.5 overs)
Staffordshire won by 4 wickets9 Devon
239/8 (55 overs)
Lord's, London
1992 Devon
221/6 (51.4 overs)
Devon won by 4 wickets10 Staffordshire
217/7 (55 overs)
Lord's, London
1993 Staffordshire
326/7 (55 overs)
Staffordshire won by 69 runs11 Wiltshire
257/7 (55 overs)
Lord's, London
1994 Devon
281/5 (55 overs)
Devon won by 18 runs12 Lincolnshire
263 all out (53.5 overs)
Lord's, London
1995 Cambridgeshire
227/8 (54.3 overs)
Cambridgeshire won by 2 wickets13 Herefordshire
226/4 (55 overs)
Lord's, London
1996 Cheshire
254/4 (54 overs)
Cheshire won by 6 wickets14 Bedfordshire
253/7 (55 overs)
Lord's, London
1997 Norfolk
279/4 (55 overs)
Norfolk won by 52 runs15 Shropshire
227 all out (54.3 overs)
Lord's, London
1998 Devon
204/2 (41.5 overs)
Devon won by 8 wickets16 Shropshire
201/9 (60 overs)
Lord's, London
1999 Bedfordshire
154/2 (36.1 overs)
Bedfordshire won by 8 wickets17 Cumberland
153 all out (47.4 overs)
Lord's, London
2000 Herefordshire
291/6 (50 overs)
Herefordshire won by 42 runs18 Cheshire
241/9 (50 overs)
Lord's, London
2001 Norfolk
202/9 (50 overs)
Norfolk won by 114 runs19 Devon
88 all out (28.1 overs)
Lord's, London
2002 Warwickshire Cricket Board
266/8 (49.1 overs)
Warwickshire Cricket Board won by 2 wickets20 Devon
261/8 (50 overs)
New Road, Worcester
2003 Cambridgeshire
267/7 (47.5 overs)
Cambridgeshire won by 3 wickets21 Shropshire
266/9 (50 overs)
Lord's, London
2004 Berkshire
240/3 (42.4 overs)
Berkshire won by 7 wickets22 Northumberland
237 all out (49.3 overs)
Lord's, London
2005 Norfolk
135/4 (27 overs)
Norfolk won by 6 wickets2324 Wiltshire
134 all out (45.1 overs)
Upton Court Road, Slough
2006 Northumberland
209/2 (34.4 overs)
Northumberland won by 8 wickets25 Dorset
207/9 (50 overs)
Lord's, London
2007 Suffolk
219 all out (49.2 overs)
Suffolk won by 35 runs26 Cheshire
184 all out (47.4 overs)
Lord's, London
2008 Devon
290/4 (50 overs)
Devon won by 40 runs27 Berkshire
250 all out (48 overs)
Lord's, London
2009 Norfolk
257/6 (50 overs)
Norfolk won by 104 runs28 Staffordshire
153 all out (40.3 overs)
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
2010 Shropshire
219 all out (49.2 overs)
Shropshire won by 7 wickets29 Lincolnshire
249/6 (50 overs)
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
2011 Berkshire
196/4 (34.2 overs)
Berkshire won by 6 wickets30 Hertfordshire
194/9 (36 overs)
Lord's, London
2012 Cumberland
186/3 (32.4 overs)
Cumberland won by 7 wickets31 Wiltshire
184 all out (45.4 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2013 Berkshire
284/9 (50 overs)
Berkshire won by 128 runs32 Shropshire
156 all out (39.3 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2014 Devon
203/9 (50 overs)
Devon won by 7 runs33 Oxfordshire
196/9 (50)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2015 Cornwall
203/3 (29.4 overs)
Cornwall won by 7 wickets34 Northumberland
199/9 (42)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2016 Herefordshire
258/9 (50 overs)
Herefordshire won by 56 runs35 Staffordshire
202 all out (44.4 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2017 Berkshire
248/6 (40.3 overs)
Berkshire won by 4 wickets36 Lincolnshire
245/5 (50 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2018 Cheshire
248/7 (50 overs)
Cheshire won by 2 runs37 Devon
246/9 (50 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2019 Berkshire
144 all out (46.4 overs)
Berkshire won by 1 run38 Cumberland
143/9 (50 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2021 Berkshire
260/8 (50 overs)
Berkshire won by 151 runs39 Cumbria
109 (34.1 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2022 Berkshire
231/5 (38.5 overs)
Berkshire won by 5 wickets40 Cumbria
227/8 (50 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2023 Berkshire
195/8 (50 overs)
Berkshire won by 29 runs41 Cumbria
166 all out (45.3 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2024 Norfolk
258/4 (44.3 overs)
Norfolk won by six wickets42 Cheshire
257/8 (50 overs)
Wormsley Park, Ibstone
2025 Dorset
198/5 (46.1 overs)
Dorset won by five wickets Shropshire
195 all out (49.1 overs)
Boughton Hall Cricket Club Ground, Chester

Wins by county

See also

See also

References

References

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  2. "1984 English Estates Trophy final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  3. "1985 English Estates Trophy final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  4. "1986 Minor Counties Knock Out Competition final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  5. "1987 Minor Counties Knock Out Competition final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  6. "1988 Holt Cup final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  7. "1989 Holt Cup final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  8. "1990 Holt Cup final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  9. "1991 Holt Cup final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
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  11. "1993 MCC Trophy final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  12. "1994 MCC Trophy final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
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  14. "1996 MCC Trophy final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
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  16. "1998 MCC Trophy final". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
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  24. This final was replayed following the abandonment of the first, held at Lord's, London on 22 August, due to rain. The teams agreed to replay the final on 31 August at Upton Court Road, Slough.
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  32. "2013 MCCA Trophy". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  33. "2014 MCCA Trophy". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
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  37. Cheshire v Devon, Unicorns Trophy 2018 Final, Play-Cricket. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  38. Berkshire v Cumberland, Unicorns Trophy 2019 Final, ESPN cricinfo. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  39. Berkshire v Cumberland, Unicorns Trophy 2021 Final, ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  40. "NCCA". ncca.play-cricket.com. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  41. "NCCA". ncca.play-cricket.com. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
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External links