STEVE SLIPS AWAY

(Oakworth First XI 1988-2009)

In the mid-1970s two young brothers started a cricket career at lofty Haworth West End. They went on to play at Keighley, the one a bowler that could bat and the other a batter that could bowl. One a right hander the other a left hander.

Steve Hartley, pictured above on the right of the front row, the left handed batsman found his way to Oakworth in 1988 whilst his brother went on to County level and is now an ICC Umpire.

When you look down the list of Oakworth First XI run-makers you don't need to go far to find the name Steve Hartley. He lies fourth on  that list with 6.739 runs at an impressive average of 25.43.

Left hander Steve is an accumulator and was the natural successor to Barry Sayer as an Oakworth opener. His debut though came at no 4 on 7th May 1988 against Bradley, scoring 1 before being caught off the bowling of Duncan Mannville. His first fifty came in his 14th innings (50) at Long Lee in 1989. It was to be the first of 20 half-centuries in his 22 year First XI career. His dogged defence and crisp off-side stroke player singled Steve out as a quality batsman and his ability to 'stay there' became his watchword.

But on 11th August 1990 at home to Airedale, Steve took the lead role scoring his highest innings of 113 with 16 fours and a rare six.

This allowed Steve to share in many a partnership which would take Oakworth to victory. His pairing with Michael Scarborough was immensely productive and they shared 102 stands, averaging 44.86 from 4,172 runs collectively. Their best stand remains the Oakworth club record of 232 on 4th September 1993 at far flung Upper Wharfedale. Steve as usual was the junior partner with 87 whilst Michael chipped in 149. Indeed Steve Hartley has a share in the three highest club partnerships to epitomise his unselfish play supporting more expansive hitters.

Steve's First XI career began to draw to a close at a time when his son Scott (now at Keighley) broke into the team and they were able to play together. Steve's last fifty was a beauty, 93 vs Thornton-in-Craven on 4th August 2007, when after hitting 3 sixes in the same innings (!) he was run out going for his third century.

Indeed run outs featured heavily in Steve's career with a record 32 to his name as his own whippet-like speed got him (and others) into trouble. I recall a '90s match at Gargrave when an all-run five had Steve lapping partner Frank Morley.

For Steve, his last innings for the First XI was on 2nd May 2009 at Shires Lane Embsay when speedster John Metcalfe ended his innings for a duck.

  
Steve Hartley - All Matches for Oakworth
  years appeared inns no runs 4s 6s high balls runs wkts
First XI 1988-2009 266 255 43 5223 571 26 113      
Second XI 2000-2010 41 39 5 899 95 1 68      
Third XI 2006-2006 1 1 0 46 5 1 46      
League career   308 295 48 6168 671 28 113      
Wynn Cup 1988-2007 41 40 9 830 96 2 71      
Keighley Cup 1988-2006 23 23 3 605 71 2 107      
Cowling Cup 2000-2010 9 9 3 135 15 0 31      
Club career 1988-2010 381 367 63 7738 853 32 113 o    
LEAGUE OPPONENTS first last appearances innings not out runs 4s 6s hiscore average
Airedale 1989 1990 4 4 1 183 28 1 113 61.00
Haworth West End 1993 2004 6 6 3 149 19 0 47 49.66
Cononley 1990 2009 7 6 0 228 28 0 73 38.00
Haworth Methodists 1988 2007 12 12 3 334 36 0 74 37.11
Gargrave 1989 1998 7 6 3 102 9 3 29 34.00
Foulridge 1988 2002 13 13 3 330 45 0 56 33.00
Upper Wharfedale 1988 1999 18 17 3 461 49 3 87 32.92
Carleton 1994 1999 7 7 1 184 15 2 63 30.66
Long Lee 1988 2004 16 16 2 415 56 6 59 29.64
Pendle Forest 1989 2002 19 17 4 341 32 0 34 26.23
Cowling 1989 2008 17 17 4 338 25 3 74 26.00
Thornton-in-Craven 1988 2008 25 24 3 456 42 3 93 21.71
Barrowford 1989 2006 18 16 1 306 34 2 55 20.40
Sutton 1996 2007 7 7 2 96 14 0 24 19.20
Cullingworth 2002 2007 7 6 0 115 13 0 29 19.16
Bingley Congs 2005 2008 4 4 1 54 7 0 26 18.00
Skipton CI 1988 2003 13 13 3 178 24 0 44 17.80
Bradley 1988 2009 27 26 3 358 36 2 44 15.56
Embsay 1988 2009 26 26 2 344 36 0 44 14.33

Ironically whilst achieving an impressive 49.66 average in six appearances (above) against his first club, Haworth West End, he never scored a fifty against them!

In Oakworth's most successful period of cricketing achievement the name of Steve Hartley is usually prominent. He has garnered 4 Championship medals, 2 Keighley Cup winners medals and 5 Wynn Cup winners medals, an incredible 11 medals in total. There is no doubt Oakworth CC would not have enjoyed the amount of success it has in the last 20 years without the monumental contribution from Steve Hartley