INCLUDING their Waddilove Cup semi-final victory over Otley, who they meet in the Aire-Wharfe League at Summerhill Lane on Saturday, Steeton have had a good July.

They have won four of their five completed matches, and made it back-to-back Premier Division victories last weekend in comprehensive fashion at Adel.

Steve Pearson’s side were sent in and made Tom Harrison pay for that decision by scoring 291-7.

Openers Tremaine Dowrich and Luke Chapman (24) put on 67, and then the former added 135 for the second wicket with Ben Hemsley, who finished on 100 not out.

The latter faced 123 balls and scored 12 fours and a six, while Dowrich was dismissed for 89 off 98 deliveries, which contained 15 fours and a six.

Wickets fell regularly after that large partnership, but Paul Quinlan’s run-a-ball 25 helped Steeton towards 300, Gavin Thorpe finishing with 3-49.

Harrison (31) put on 52 for Adel’s second wicket with George Trueman (47), but after that the best stand was 40 for the eighth wicket between James Thorp (26) and keeper Richard Spry (24) as the home side were dismissed for 195.

Pearson took 3-39 and Quinlan 5-50 as Steeton breathed new life into their struggle for survival.

They are still second from bottom, but are now only 23 points adrift of Rawdon.

Apart from facing Otley this weekend, Steeton also have the ‘small matter’ of defending their Waddilove Cup.

They face Horsforth Hall Park in the final at Bilton on Sunday, bidding to win the competition for a third successive season, but their first as a top-flight team.

Meanwhile, Skipton’s topsy-turvy season continued in Division Two as they lost by seven wickets at Green Lane.

It seems to have been feast or famine for Skipton’s batters recently, and it was famine on Saturday as they were toppled for 135 after choosing to have first knock.

Things looked good initially as openers Shahid Saleem (29) and keeper Joe Birks (28) put on 62, but it was generally downhill after that, despite 28 from captain Gary Owens and a last-wicket stand of 27 between Robert Walker and Moheed Shafiq.

Robert Britton fell early in the reply, but Skipton’s goose was cooked when Chris Bogdanos (58) and keeper Phil Atkinson (60) added 92 for the second wicket, and Green Lane won in the 27th over as the visitors dropped two places to ninth.