| Administrator | Women's Cricket Association |
|---|---|
| Format | Limited overs cricket |
| First edition | 1980 |
| Latest edition | 1996 |
| Tournament format | League system in two divisions |
| Most successful | Yorkshire (6 titles) |
The Women's Area Championship was a women's cricket competition organised by the Women's Cricket Association that ran from 1980 until 1996. It operated as a 55-over limited overs cricket competition, with teams organised into a number of groups, often with a final. It was replaced in 1997 by the Women's County Championship.
The teams competing in the Championship were a variety of county teams, county Second XIs, regional teams and Invitational XIs. The tournament was the first formalised women's cricket competition in England, with teams having previously only played one-off and friendly matches. Between 1988 and 1994, the competition was followed by the Women's Territorial Tournament, competed for by regional sides selected from the Area Championship teams.
Yorkshire were the most successful side in the history of the Area Championship, winning six titles, including all of the last five tournaments. East Midlands and Middlesex won three titles apiece.