NCU Challenge Cup


The NCU Challenge Cup, also called the NCU Senior Challenge Cup and the NCU Senior Cup, is the most important provincial cricket knock-out cup of the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland. The competition began in 1887, with eleven clubs participating in the first competition, North Down eventually beating North of Ireland in the final at Ormeau.
The Cup is open to teams playing in the Premier League and Section 1 of the NCU Senior League. It is sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher and marketed as the Arthur J Gallagher Challenge Cup.
Matches consist of one innings per side, with fifty overs bowled per innings. Where matches are interrupted or delayed because of weather, the number of overs may be reduced to a minimum of 20. Duckworth Lewis is employed where a match is interrupted after it has started.
The most successful club in the competition is North Down with 32 victories
CIYMS are the current holders after beating Instonians by 98 runs in the 2019 final.

List of finals

Source for finals up to 2002: J. Clarence Hiles, A History of Senior Cricket in Ulster. Comber: Hilltop Publications Ltd.

1880s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
1887North DownNorth of IrelandOrmeauNorth 47 and 107
North Down 159
North Down won by an innings and 5 runs.
1888North DownUlsterOrmeauUlster 85 and 38
North Down 47 and 77-5
North Down won by 5 wickets.
1889North of IrelandArmaghOrmeauArmagh 65 and 104
North 94 and 77-2
North won by 8 wickets.

1890s

1900s

1910s

1920s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
1920North DownCliftonvilleOrmeauCliftonville 60 and 102
North Down 108 and 60-0
North Down won by 10 wickets.
1921WaringstownNorth DownOrmeauNorth Down 135 and 74
Waringstown 159 and 54-8
Waringstown won by 2 wickets.
1922CliftonvilleWaringstownOrmeauCliftonville 155 and 44
Waringstown 100 and 32
Cliftonville won by 67 runs.
1923DownpatrickHolywoodOrmeauHolywood 76 and 134
Downpatrick 201 and 13-0
Downpatrick won by 10 wickets.
1924North DownWaringstownOrmeauWaringstown 78 and 130
North Down 70 and 139-9
North Down won by 1 wicket.
1925North of IrelandCliftonvilleOrmeauCliftonville 78 and 178
North 151 and 106-0
North won by 10 wickets.
1926North DownNorth of IrelandOrmeauNorth Down 337 and 240
North 157 and 150
North Down won by 270 runs.
1927North DownHolywoodOrmeauHolywood 99 and 59
North Down 169
North Down won by an innings and 11 runs.
1928North DownNorth of IrelandUlster Cricket GroundNorth 177 and 101
North Down 221 and 59-3
North Down won by 7 wickets.
1929LisburnNorth DownOrmeauNorth Down 52 and 141
Lisburn 165 and 29-5
Lisburn won by 5 wickets.

1930s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
1930UlsterNorth DownOrmeauUlster 169 and 130
North Down 93 and 101
Ulster won by 105 runs.
1931North DownUlsterOrmeauNorth Down 119 and 256
Ulster 74 and 155
North Down won by 146 runs.
1932North DownArmaghOrmeauArmagh 121 and 118
North Down 137 and 107-5
North Down won by 5 wickets.
1933WoodvaleLurganOrmeauLurgan 193 and 118
Woodvale 452
Woodvale won by an innings and 141 runs.
1934North DownWoodvaleOrmeauNorth Down 238 and 147
Woodvale 157 and 97
North Down won by 131 runs.
1935North DownCliftonvilleOrmeauNorth Down 303
Cliftonville 114 and 183
North Down won by an innings and 6 runs.
1936North DownWoodvaleCliftonvilleWoodvale 82 and 77
North Down 112 and 49-6
North Down won by 4 wickets.
1937WoodvaleNorth DownCliftonvilleNorth Down 331 and 129
Woodvale 226 and 237-9
Woodvale won by 1 wicket.
1938North of IrelandDonacloneyCliftonvilleDonacloney 67 and 105
North 189
North won by an innings and 17 runs.
1939WoodvaleNorth DownOrmeauNorth Down 68 and 81
Woodvale 153
Woodvale won by an innings and 4 runs.

1940s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
1940Queen's UniversityArmaghCliftonvilleQueen's 76
Armagh 70
Queen's won by 6 runs.
1941WoodvaleMuckamoreOrmeauWoodvale 188
Muckamore 53
Woodvale won by 135 runs.
1942LisburnWaringstownOrmeauLisburn 114
Waringstown 113
Lisburn won by 1 runs.
1943WaringstownWoodvaleOrmeauWaringstown 120
Woodvale 66
Waringstown won by 54 runs.
1944WaringstownCregaghOrmeauWaringstown 253
Cregagh 223
Waringstown won by 30 runs.
1945DownpatrickWaringstownOrmeauDownpatrick 244
Waringstown 166
Downpatrick won by 78 runs.
1946LisburnNorth of IrelandOrmeauLisburn 207 and 90
North 77 and 154
Lisburn won by 66 runs.
1947Sion MillsArmaghOrmeauArmagh 238 and 206
Sion Mills 319 and 126-9
Sion Mills won by 1 wicket.
1948WoodvaleCPAOrmeauCPA 146 and 110
Woodvale 127 and 130/7
Woodvale won by 3 wickets.
1949WoodvaleWaringstownCliftonvilleWoodvale 269
Waringstown 126 and 133
Woodvale won by an innings and 10 runs.

1950s

1960s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch scores
1960North of IrelandLurganOrmeauLurgan 87 and 108
North 150-9 declared and 49-2
North won by 8 wickets.
1961LisburnWoodvaleOrmeauWoodvale 179 and 106
Lisburn 148 and 138-2
Lisburn won by 8 wickets.
1962LisburnMuckamoreOrmeauLisburn 163 and 189
Muckamore 93 and 145
Lisburn won by 114 runs.
1963MuckamoreDownpatrickOrmeauMuckamore 243 and 174
Downpatrick 195 and 103
Muckamore won by 119 runs.
1964InstoniansSion MillsOrmeauInstonians 187 and 159
Sion Mills 201 and 127
Instonians won by 18 runs.
1965WaringstownSion MillsOrmeauWaringstown 189 and 249
Sion Mills 137 and 144
Waringstown won by 157 runs.
1966DownpatrickLisburnOrmeauDownpatrick 186 and 189
Lisburn 97 and 138
Downpatrick won by 140 runs.
1967WaringstownMuckamoreOrmeauWaringstown 215-5 and 191
Muckamore 138 and 121
Waringstown won by 147 runs.
1968WaringstownLisburnOrmeauWaringstown 195-9 and 212-5
Lisburn 180 and 158
Waringstown won by 69 runs.
1969North of IrelandQueen's UniversityOrmeauNorth 136 and 116
Queen's 86 and 102
North won by 64 runs.

1970s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
1970WaringstownLisburnOrmeauWaringstown 140 and 187-6
Lisburn 114 and 109
Waringstown won by 104 runs.
1971WaringstownDownpatrickOrmeauWaringstown 266-4 and 209-7
Downpatrick 165 and 85
Waringstown won by 225 runs.
1972LurganMuckamoreOrmeauLurgan 186-2 and 164-4
Muckamore 97 and 73
Lurgan won by 180 runs.
1973WaringstownQueen's UniversityOrmeauQueen's 126 and 166-8
Waringstown 155 and 138-3
Waringstown won by 7 wickets.
1974WaringstownBallymenaOrmeauWaringstown 226-5 and 34-2
Ballymena 118 and 137
Waringstown won by 8 wickets.
1975WaringstownNorth DownOrmeauWaringstown 192-4 and 130-9
North Down 56 and 135-6
Waringstown won by 131 runs.
1976WaringstownLisburnStrangford RoadWaringstown 179-9 and 134
Lisburn 153 and 71
Waringstown won by 89 runs.
1977DownpatrickLisburn-
1978WaringstownWoodvale-
1979WaringstownWoodvaleWaringstown won by 1 run.

1980s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
1980NorthNorth Down-
1981North DownBallymena-
1982NorthDownpatrick-
1983WaringstownLurgan-
1984DownpatrickNorth-
1985LisburnNorth-
1986WaringstownNorth-
1987WaringstownLurgan-
1988WaringstownDownpatrick-
1989LurganNorth-

1990s

2000s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
2000North DownWoodvaleNorth Down 171-7 and 116
Woodvale 130-9 and 109
North Down won by 48 runs.
2001North DownNorthNorth Down 287-3 and 167
North 203 and 158
North Down won by 93 runs.
2002LurganNorth DownNorth Down 140-7
Lurgan 141-3
Lurgan won by 7 wickets.
2003North DownWaringstownStormontNorth Down 214-8 and 210-5
Waringstown 167 and 163
North Down won by 94 runs.
2004North DownBelfast HarlequinsStormontNorth Down 242-4 and 165-8
Belfast Harlequins 199-9 and 189
North Down won by 19 runs.
2005North DownDownpatrickStrangford RoadDownpatrick 208-9 and 108
North Down 217-5 and 100-1
North Down won by 8 wickets.
2006WaringstownCIYMSStrangford RoadWaringstown 303-5 and 47-1
CIYMS 194-5 and 155
Waringstown won by 9 wickets.
2007North DownWaringstownStrangford RoadWaringstown 187
North Down 188-6
North Down won by 4 wickets.
2008Civil Service North of IrelandWaringstownStrangford RoadCSNI 150-9
Waringstown 146
CSNI won by 4 runs.
2009InstoniansNorth DownThe GreenNorth Down 176-7
Instonians 191-2
Instonians won by 8 wickets.

2010s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
2010North DownCIYMSThe GreenNorth Down 262-6
CIYMS 188
North Down won by 74 runs.
2011WaringstownCivil Service North of IrelandWallace ParkWaringstown 190-8
CSNI 116
Waringstown won by 74 runs.
2012InstoniansNorth DownThe GreenNorth Down 182
Instonians 184-2
Instonians won by 8 wickets.
2013WaringstownInstoniansThe GreenWaringstown 265-6
Instonians 178
Waringstown won by 87 runs.
2014Civil Service North of IrelandWaringstownThe GreenWaringstown 156
CSNI 109/5
CSNI won by 5 wickets.
2015CIYMSInstoniansThe GreenCIYMS 259-7
Instonians 195
CIYMS won by 50 runs.
2016Civil Service North of IrelandCIYMSThe GreenCIYMS 243-7
CSNI 244-5
CSNI won by 5 wickets.
2017CIYMSInstoniansThe GreenInstonians 208
CIYMS 209-4
CIYMS won by 6 wickets.
2018WaringstownCivil Service North of IrelandThe GreenCSNI 285-4
Waringstown 286-4
Waringstown won by six wickets.
2019CIYMSInstoniansThe GreenCIYMS 220
Instonians 122
CIYMS beat Instonians by 98 runs.

2020s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores
2020not played

Summary of winners