Steeton dusting off cobwebs despite seven-wicket defeat

STEETON had their moments in their first round Solly Sports Heavy Woollen Cup tie at Wakefield Thornes.

For example, Ben Hemsley (28) and Tom Smallwood (27) added 48 for the fourth wicket after the Yorkshire Southern Premier League hosts had put the Waddiilove Cup holders in and reduced them to 10-3.

Then, defending 122, Hemsley dismissed opener Kieran Donnachie in the fourth ball of the first over and Steeton captain Steve Pearson bowled an impressive first and second spell as the Aire-Wharfe League Premier Division new boys fell to a seven-wicket defeat.

The game was switched at less than 48 hours’ notice from Summerhill Lane to Field Lane, which looked a picture despite all the recent rain.

Pearson admitted: “Our outfield is still boggy, mainly in one area near the road end, and that area has now been cordoned off and sand has been put down to hopefully dry it up.

“We spoke to Wakefield on Friday and they said that their pitch (the wicket had been under the covers for four weeks) was in decent nick, and it was a good run-out for the lads.

“It is always good to have a hit, even though the result was not what we wanted. We are getting a bat and a ball and dusting the cobwebs off.

“It was a good stand between Tom and Ben, but unfortunately we couldn’t find another partnership.

“Wakefield batted well but we did all right as a bowling unit. We made it hard for them at times and didn’t give them anything, and it was good for me that I got a couple of wickets near the end.”

As for this season, Pearson admitted: “Finishing in the top half of the table would be brilliant, and we were missing Matthew Nutter and Ewan Johnston here, so they will be back in the team when we play again.

“In the Waddilove Cup, we have (league champions) Collingham at home, so that will be tough, but we know that we aren’t playing at Burley in the league next Saturday as their ground is not fit so we will try and get a friendly either home or away, although the forecast for next weekend is bad.”

Steeton lost Adam Smith, James Robinson and Luke Chapman in quick order when they batted, but Smallwood and Hemsley coped well after that, with the latter playing some pleasing shots through the offside that would have been four, rather than two, were it not for the wet spring, with the ball pulling up just inside the ropes.

Smallwood was bowled trying to turn a full-length ball to mid-wicket, while Hemsley chopped on, and after that only overseas player, Bajan Tremaine Dowrich (19), Craig Walton (10) and George Bell (10no) reached double figures as the innings ended in the 45th over of the 50.

Former Yorkshire second XI pace bowler Matthew Taylor took 3-18, Osama Ahmed 2-25, overseas player Sijoman Joseph 2-23 and left-arm spinner Freddie Egleston, who got away with some full tosses and half-trackers, 3-24.

After their chilli con carne and rice, Steeton were buoyed by Hemsley’s prize scalp, and he also had several large shouts for lbw turned down, but keeper Joe Billings, the former Sussex second XI player, and opener James Rhodes then took the game away from the visitors.

Billings hit seven fours and a six (a blow down the ground that took him to his 50) in his 62, which took 105 balls before he fell with the score on 116, while Rhodes was out for 49 a run later after a 93-ball innings that contained four fours and a six.

Ultimately a Premier League side saw off a senior league side, but Pearson finished with superb figures of 8-3-6-2, while Hemsley returned an analysis of 6-1-15-1, and both should be key figures for Steeton this season.

Walton had to keep wicket as Smith injured a finger while batting.