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​EXPERIENCED cricketer Steve Foster was among a core of local players who helped Yorkshire win the National Over-50s County Championship – and they did it the hard way.
Yorkshire over-50s county cricket championsYorkshire over-50s county cricket champions
Yorkshire over-50s county cricket champions

The team clocked up the miles on the way to beating Bedfordshire in the final with a team which included Treeton favourite Steve, former Wickersley man Haider Jahangir, Lesroy Weekes, Elsecar’s Jason Meadows and Nick Gaywood from Sheffield Collegiate.

Steve said: “We lost our second game to Lancashire in the last over, which was a bit of a disappointment. It meant we were second in our group so it meant we could be travelling all over the country, which is what we ended up doing through to the final.”

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Yorkshire weren’t deterred, beating Staffordshire by eight wickets in the last 16, Foster making more than 70, and then bumping out Essex in the quarter-finals and Cambridgeshire in the semis. Another player with Treeton connections, wicketkeeper Paul Fenn, had featured in the group stages before succumbing to injury.

Steve Foster with the trophy.Steve Foster with the trophy.
Steve Foster with the trophy.

"The match against Essex was a big one because they have won it for the last few years and they are the team to beat really,” explained Steve, who made a half-century and took four wickets. “This year we went to play them in Colchester and performed really well to beat them by nearly 100 runs.”

He went on to make 31 and collect a wicket a run out in the semi-final and the long road to the final was worth it, not least because of the surroundings, on the leafy estate of the late Jean Paul Getty down in the south of England.

Yorkshire piled up 222-3 and then bowled out Bedfordshire for 62 to set the celebrations in motion, Gaywood making 74 and Babar Butt, the former Rotherham Town player, adding 41. Foster hit 30 and collected a wicket and a run out to collect the man of the match award.

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"The venue for the final was very picturesque,” said Steve. “From entering the gates it was a good five minute’s drive to the ground, which was absolutely superb. I don’t think there’s that many games played on it.

"Obviously it was great to become national champions and it’s not an easy competition to win. We have been unfortunate in the last few years because the matches are usually played on a Wednesday and when you get to the knockouts it’s on a Sunday and there’s been holidays etc which has proven difficult for us.

“This time we were able to put our best team out for the quarter-final onwards.”

So what about 2024?

"We want to defend it next year. It’s something we always look to do.

"There are also a lot of people trying to get involved with the Yorkshire Over-50s now, so it’s really good.”