Experimental Formats and World War II 1933-1945
In 1932-33 Province cricket was introduced. Players from neighbouring clubs merged to form the respective "Provinces." North Perth and West Perth became Central Province; Midland-Guildford and Mount Lawley became North-East Province; Fremantle and North-East Fremantle became Port Province; Claremont and Subiaco became West Province; and East Perth and Southern Suburbs became South-East Province. With the addition of University these six teams formed the elite club competition of the era. The remainder of the teams competed in a separate club competition.
The experiment of Province cricket lasted only one season. In 1933-34, the WACA competition returned to District cricket which comprised 11 First Grade clubs who combined to field 12 teams in B1 Grade, nine in B2 Grade and five junior teams.
The years of the Second World War witnessed some major adjustments to the WACA competition. The impact of the War reduced the number of players taking part during the next three seasons of 1942-43, 1943-44 and 1944-45. The Cricket Council wished to continue with a re-vamped competition and, through necessity, devised a system of one-day matches for those seasons. The lower grades were replaced by a single (usually six teams) junior competition.
World Peace and WA Enters Sheffield Shield Competition 1946-1960
Once peace was signed in 1945, cricketers were anxious to get back to regular competition for the 1945-46 season. The competition reverted to two-day cricket with Southern Suburbs retaining their temporary Wartime position, but had now altered their name to South Perth, the name the club bears today. Fremantle also returned to the fold, making it a First Grade competition of nine teams. The Second Grade competition had ten teams, while Third Grade fielded six teams.
With the Wartime difficulties behind them, cricket officials saw a need for standardisation in club, or District, cricket. The Cricket Council decreed that, wherever possible, all First Grade teams should field a team in each of the three lower grades. In 1949-50, the competition comprised 12 teams in each of the four grades. This enabled the introduction of a club championship, with weighted points for each of the grades. For the next eight seasons that was how club cricket was played.
|
SEASON |
A GRADE |
B GRADE |
B2 GRADE |
B3 GRADE |
|
1932-33 |
North East Province |
Nedlands |
N.E. Fremantle |
No Competition |
|
1933-34 |
Claremont |
Claremont |
Bassendean |
Mt Lawley |
|
1934-35 |
Claremont |
Nedlands |
Southern Suburbs |
Mt Lawley |
|
|
FIRST GRADE |
SECOND GRADE |
THIRD GRADE |
C GRADE |
|
1935-36 |
North Perth |
West Perth |
N.E. Fremantle |
Perth Boys School |
|
1936-37 |
Subiaco |
West Perth |
N.E. Fremantle |
Mt Lawley |
|
1937-38 |
Claremont |
East Perth |
North Perth |
Subiaco |
|
1938-39 |
North Perth |
East Perth |
Mt Lawley |
North Perth |
|
1939-40 |
Subiaco |
East Perth |
Subiaco |
Subiaco |
|
1940-41 |
West Perth |
Southern Suburbs |
Mt Lawley |
Subiaco |
|
1941-42 |
Claremont |
East Perth |
abandoned due to War |
North Perth |
|
1942-43 |
Subiaco |
No Competition |
No Competition |
Mt Lawley & Nth Perth No.2 |
|
1943-44 |
West Perth |
No Competition |
No Competition |
Southern Suburbs |
|
1944-45 |
Claremont-Fremantle |
No Competition |
No Competition |
East Perth (CBC) |
|
1945-46 |
Subiaco |
West Perth |
No Competition |
South Perth |
|
1946-47 |
Subiaco |
Subiaco |
North Perth |
South Perth |
|
1947-48 |
West Perth |
Mt Lawley |
Subiaco |
Nedlands |
|
1948-49 |
East Perth |
Nedlands |
Subiaco |
North Perth |
|
1949-50 |
South Perth |
South Perth |
North Perth |
Fremantle |
|
1950-51 |
Mt Lawley |
Subiaco |
Subiaco |
Subiaco |
|
1951-52 |
University |
North Perth |
Claremont-Cottesloe |
South Perth |
|
1952-53 |
South Perth |
North Perth |
Claremont-Cottesloe |
South Perth |
|
1953-54 |
University |
South Perth |
Nedlands |
Fremantle |
|
1954-55 |
University |
Clare-Cott & Fremantle |
Clare-Cott & Subiaco |
Sth Perth & West Perth |
|
1955-56 |
South Perth |
West Perth |
University |
South Perth |
|
1956-57 |
South Perth |
Mt Lawley |
University |
South Perth |
|
1957-58 |
North Perth |
Subiaco |
University |
University |
|
1958-59 |
North Perth |
University |
Fremantle |
Fremantle |
*North East Province (1932-33 First Grade Premiers) was a combined Mt Lawley and Midland-Guildford team
*University forfeited to N.E. Fremantle in the 1932-33 B2 Grade Final
*Rain washed out all 1954-55 Finals except First Grade
*Where a premier is listed as 'X & Y', joint premiers were declared either through a tie or a washout