UPPER AIREDALE Junior Cricket Association's under-11s were proud to become the area's first team to reach a Yorkshire Cricket Festival final.

Although they were beaten by North Yorkshire at Scotton, it was a historic day as only two Upper Airedale (UAJCA)representative sides had previously reached semi-finals.

After being put into bat, UAJCA were struggling at 32-6 but some determined play helped them recover to 101-9.

Embsay's Dylan Canny led the fightback with 25no, while the Steeton pair of Wilf Roberts and Max Hibbert added crucial support.

North Yorkshire found batting much easier in reply as UAJCA bowlers lacked control of length. They knocked off the runs with nine wickets to spare in just 13.2 overs as captain Lewis Brown (Oakworth) returned a creditable 1-13 from four overs.

Association secretary Terry Thompson said: “Our first ever Yorkshire Festival final may had ended in defeat but our fight-back with the bat had epitomised our fighting 2016 campaign, of which we are all extremely proud."

UAJCA team: Lewis Brown (capt, Oakworth), Ethan Wilson (Skipton), Charlie Mitchell, Wilf Roberts & Max Hibbert (all Steeton), Dylan Canny & Archie Phillipson (both Embsay), Charlie Raby (Oakworth), Ben Slade & Dylan Blenkhorn (both Earby), Jack Midgley (U Wharfedale) and Khunas Zaman (Gt Horton Church).