THERE have been some great cricketing names associated with Keighley, not least England legend Frank Woolley, who was a key figure in the town’s premier cricket club winning their first Bradford League title in 1919.

He of course hailed from Kent, the county he served with such distinction, but over one hundred years on, Keighley is potentially producing some star cricketers of its own.

And they are making a name for themselves in the Yorkshire side.

The obvious starting point is Harry Brook.

We only did a feature on him three weeks ago in the Keighley News, but even since that was written, he has gone on to play in all three of England’s T20 internationals against India.

On top of that, a sign of his growing standing in the game was on display when jubilant Yorkshire fans saw him released back to the club by his country for Vitality Blast Finals Day.

Admittedly he only scored two as Yorkshire fell to a semi-final defeat to Lancashire, but it would be harsh to criticise him too much, giving his sensational batting form in the shorter format since cricket returned from a pandemic-induced lockdown in 2020.

Keighley News: Harry Brook's T20 form has caught the eye of England this year. Picture: Ray Spencer.Harry Brook's T20 form has caught the eye of England this year. Picture: Ray Spencer.

In May, assistant coach at Yorkshire, Ali Maiden, said of Brook: “The pleasing thing for me is his hunger to post big scores. That’s what separates the best players from the rest - they don’t get tired of scoring runs, they keep going, churn them out.

“You don’t know that when you first see them in the nets, but I’ve seen it more and more. I’ve been very impressed.”

But Brook is not the only one making waves.

Another Keighley youngster, George Hill, was the England Under-19s vice-captain at the 2020 World Cup, and even supplied Ben Stokes with the replacement bat he needed at Headingley in the 2019 Ashes, as the flame-haired all-rounder went on to produce one of the all-time great Test innings.

But Hill, an all-rounder himself, is making a name for himself in his own right.

After debuting for Yorkshire at the back end of 2020, he made steady progress in 2021, before establishing himself in the top order this year.

He hit his maiden first-class ton against Northamptonshire in April, a stunning unbeaten 151.

Hill was back at it again against Hampshire last month, striking 131.

Keighley News: George Hill's batting has improved this year, and he now has two first-class centuries to his name. Picture: Ray Spencer.George Hill's batting has improved this year, and he now has two first-class centuries to his name. Picture: Ray Spencer.

After the knock against Northamptonshire, Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson said: “We saw a lot of good signs from George in pre-season and he looked good for his 150 here. Hopefully that’s the catalyst for him to kick on and have a really good season.

“He’s a good player, a good kid who works hard. Ali Maiden and all the coaches, we’re trying to help him understand his game a little bit better - range of shots and options.

“It was really good to see him not afraid to use his feet against spin and hit over the top, being brave. That’s what we want to see from young cricketers. A bit of youthful exuberance, I call it.”

Finally, there is Will Luxton, a Keighley teenager who made his first-class debut for Yorkshire against Surrey at Scarborough last week.

Luxton scored a promising 31 against the title challengers, adding to his list of quietly impressive Yorkshire debuts, having scored 68 for the county in his first List A game last summer.

Like Brook and Hill, he has already made a mark on the international stage, with three scores in the forties helping England’s U19s reach the World Cup final earlier this year.

Keighley News: Will Luxton (left) was still a Bradford Grammar School pupil when he made his Yorkshire debut.Will Luxton (left) was still a Bradford Grammar School pupil when he made his Yorkshire debut.

That 68 in particular gave Luxton a real shot in the arm, and he said last November: “If you’d have asked me at the start of the year what ambitions I had, they would have been to try and get a first-team game and to play England Under-19s.

“But I’ve surpassed all that, so it’s been a great year and a great experience for me.

“Being around top professionals and showing I can do it was a huge confidence boost. The main thing I took out of that was understanding I can do it.”

These three could be fixtures in Yorkshire’s first team for years to come if they keep progressing.

And that would be yet another sporting achievement for Keighley to be proud of.