County Championship Division Two: Yorkshire rope in Mark Steketee with hope to turn fortunes around

Mark Steketee Bowling. (Photo Source : Gettyimages)

Yorkshire’s campaign in the ongoing County Championship Division Two has not been close to writing home about. After facing relegation on the last day of the County Championship in 2022, Yorkshire were expected to challenge for promotion when they began their Division Two campaign this season.

Contrary to their hopes, they failed to secure victory in their first five games. Their first win came this week against Derbyshire when they pulled off a fourth innings chase in Chesterfield, emerging victorious by three wickets.

After the morale-boosting win, Yorkshire will now be bolstered by the addition of Mark Steketee. The Australian pacer has an impressive record in first-class cricket as he has scalped 248 wickets in 69 matches thus far, at an average of 25.34. Steketee ended the 2022-2023 Sheffield Shield season, as the third-highest wicket-taker. He was also a part of the Australia squad that toured Pakistan last year.

“Mark is a very talented young player and has performed well in Australia. With the schedule Yorkshire has – the Blast games followed quickly by Championship cricket – and current injuries in our ranks it was important that we strengthen the side in our bowling resources,” Darren Gough, Yorkshire’s managing director of cricket, told ESPNcricinfo.

“Mark will be a wonderful addition to our current squad and help give a further boost to our Championship campaign. We have our first Championship win under our belt, and we want to push on from here. Mark can bring something more to our bowling line-up.”

Here at Yorkshire, we are still working hard on getting the balance right between youth and experience: Darren Gough

Darren Gough continued explaining the kind of squad Yorkshire are looking to build. The former England pacer expressed his excitement with how the team is shaping up.

“Here at Yorkshire, we are still working hard on getting the balance right between youth and experience and we now feel we have got a squad where we have plenty of opportunities for everyone.”

The 29-year-old Steketee has been signed initially for the next four games that Yorkshire will play. The club has said that there is scope for an extension post the four matches. Steketee will be available for Yorkshire’s forthcoming game against Gloucestershire, which begins on June 25, in Leeds. The next four fixtures are against Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Sussex, and Durham.