OVER-ARM bowling was a relatively new concept in the sport when Steeton Cricket Club was established in June 1868, with the club playing their first matches that August.

One of the founder members of the Craven Cricket Union 27 years later, they won the league’s inaugural title in 1895, and narrowly lost the final of the Craven League Challenge Cup (now the Wynn Cup) in 1898.

Steeton were then crowned champions of the Wharfedale section of the Yorkshire Cricket Council in 1931 and 1932, before finishing as runners-up the following year.

Their present home at Summerhill Lane was purchased in 1948 and has undergone a range of renovations since.

The extended cricket pavilion now boasts changing rooms for umpires, men and women, a large bar area available for function hire, and an electronic scoreboard, purchased in 2021.

Plying their trade in the Aire-Wharfe League since the mid-1950s, the most successful year in the club’s history came in 1999, when their first team completed the double after winning both the Waddilove Cup and the ‘A’ Division with five games to spare.

Steeton have enjoyed continued success in that league since, their second string winning a hat-trick of league titles from 2005-2007, and their third team being crowned divisional champions as recently as 2016.

Now fielding three senior sides across the league, as well as a successful junior section, with teams from All-Stars Under 9s to Under 17s, the club has gone from strength to strength and offers one of the best playing facilities in the local area.

After finishing the 2021 season strongly, club representative John Akrigg explained that Steeton hope to build on that success for the upcoming campaign.

Keighley News: Veteran Steeton wicket-keeper John Akrigg (right), pictured here in a 2015 match against Otley, is the club representative, and he has high hopes for 2022, both for the firsts and for the club's ever-growing junior section. Picture: Andy Garbutt.Veteran Steeton wicket-keeper John Akrigg (right), pictured here in a 2015 match against Otley, is the club representative, and he has high hopes for 2022, both for the firsts and for the club's ever-growing junior section. Picture: Andy Garbutt.

He said: “The first team has been out of Division One for four or five years now, so our top priority is building a team to get back to where we belong.

“We started last season poorly, which cost us coming to the end, but we got a few good wins and put a run together to keep us in Division Two for this year.

“I think that we’re better than that league table suggested. We lost a lot of our more experienced players to retirement at the same time, so we’ve had to rebuild over the last few seasons.

“We have a young team at the moment so they still need some time to get together and understand each other’s play, but they’re a good squad and hopefully we can finish in the top half come September.”

Both Steeton’s first and second teams kick off their 2022 campaigns against Horsforth on April 16, with their third XI in action against neighbours Harden a day later.

Keighley News: Stevie Pearson, pictured here bowling for Steeton against Saltaire in June 2018, has been a key player for the club for many years, and he is now their captain. Picture: Phil Jackson.Stevie Pearson, pictured here bowling for Steeton against Saltaire in June 2018, has been a key player for the club for many years, and he is now their captain. Picture: Phil Jackson.

With Horsforth winless last season, it’s a game in which Steeton will be looking to get some early points on the board.

“Clubs like Horsforth pay players, who do well for a number of seasons, but when those players leave, it leaves the club in a bad way,” Akrigg said.

“In contrast, we don’t pay anyone, but it’s becoming increasingly hard to attract players to the club in this day and age.

“We’re concentrating our efforts on our junior section, with several players now featuring regularly in our third team and filtering up the divisions.”

Before attention turns to that, however, the club will be hosting their annual junior and senior presentation evening tomorrow night (Friday) from 6:30pm, with all welcome to attend.

The awards will be presented by one of the recent successes of their junior section, Will Luxton, who joined Yorkshire CCC before making his debut for England’s Under 19 set-up at the beginning of last month.

“Will and his family are familiar faces at the club and it’s been great to see him progress through the ranks with Yorkshire and now England,” Akrigg added.

“It doesn’t seem like two minutes since we were presenting him with awards, and now it’s him presenting them to the players!”

Anybody interested in joining the club is urged to contact newly-elected first-team captain Stevie Pearson or junior coach Oliver Gledhill using the club’s social media platforms.