A new South Wales Premier League was launched last night for the 2001 season

The ten clubs below will take part in the South Wales Premier League, with each club playing each other twice a season on a home and away basis.

 

Abergavenny
Cardiff
Chepstow
Newport
Panteg
Pentyrch
Pontypridd
St.Fagan`s
Sudbrook
Usk

The new South Wales Premier League, is one of two officially accredited Premier Leagues starting in Wales this season. Based upon the existing Thomas Carroll East Wales League, the new South Wales Premier League has been formally accredited by the ECB and - together with the new North Wales Premier League - is the first of its kind in Wales.

Cricket Board of Wales Chairman David Morgan said: "The establishment of premier league cricket in Wales is something that the Board has been working very hard to introduce in recent years and we are delighted that the new South Wales Premier League has been accredited and is ready to be launched this season." "It has always been the Board's wish to be bringing together the two principal leagues in South Wales together at the top level as the vehicle for raising the standard of club cricket but although we still have some work to do if we are to achieve this in the future, discussions with the South Wales Cricket Association are continuing. There is only room for one premier league in South Wales and it remains our hope that we can build on the newly accredited league and strengthen club cricket still further in the years to come."

New South Wales Premier League Secretary Phil Haines said: "All of us involved in the new league are very pleased that our hard work has come to fruition and that we are entering the new season as an officially accredited Premier League. We are confident that it will help in improving the quality of the cricket played and the support we have had from the Cricket Board of Wales is something we want to acknowledge formally."

"Whilst we hope that the CBW's discussions with the SWCA officials will lead in the future to the top clubs from both leagues - south east and south west - coming together, entering the new season as an approved premier league is an exciting prospect. It helps not only the profile of the clubs in our league but also assists them tangibly through the financial support we are able to generate from the ECB."

ECB Cricket Operations Manager Frank Kemp said: "A lot of people have worked particularly hard in helping to establish the two new Premier Leagues in Wales and we are naturally delighted to be seeing officially approved premier league cricket in the principality. We are confident that it will help greatly to improve standards and look forward to working with the officials and players of the South Wales Premier League to make it as successful as possible."

Glamorgan County Cricket Club skipper Steve James said: "It's good news that we have Premier League cricket in Wales, not just here in South Wales but, equally importantly, in the North as well, and it is important that everyone gets right behind the new league and supports and encourages it as much as possible. Certainly from Glamorgan's perspective it should help considerably in improving the standard of club cricket and I wish the league itself, and all of the clubs, an exciting and successful season."

The league season will commence formally on Saturday 5th May 2001, the highlights of the first round of matches being those between defending East Wales Cricket League champions Newport and Chepstow, Cardiff against newly-promoted Pontypridd and Abergavenny against the other newly-promoted side, Pentyrch. The season concludes on Saturday 1st September.

© Glamorgan CCC/ Cricket Board of Wales