CRICKET returns to Marshfield this weekend as Settle hope for a repeat of their stunning 2021 season.

In the Ribblesdale League the first and second teams are defending champions of the Senior League and Division One, while the Development XI look to build on their second place in Division Three.

In a record-breaking year, Settle also won the Ramsbottom Cup and were T20 runners-up.

As for the juniors, who similarly took the Upper Airedale League by storm last season, the Under-15s and under-13s were league champions, the Under-11s North Conference winners and the Under-9s were cup finalists.

Settle are not going to sit on their laurels, aiming to field three very strong senior squads of local players bolstered by graduates from the thriving junior section.

They retain Will Davidson, Dan Strickland and Nick Tyrer as respective captains and welcome the return of outstanding Sri Lankan international pro Ashen Silva and the hugely talented Overseas Amateur Dante Niles from Barbados.

Settle are also committed to running a girls’ team and aim to welcome more women and girls as core members of the club, hopefully inspired by England women again reaching the World Cup final.

The club already have two women coaches and women taking leadership roles in team management and are continuing to take a programme of cricket into all local junior schools.

They will welcome junior boys and girls to Marshfield at 6.30 on Friday nights to practise.

This Saturday the 2nd XI entertain Burnley Belvedere while on Sunday the Development XI are on the road at Whalley.

Next weekend will be full-on for the first team, at home both to Read on Saturday and to Oswaldtwistle the next day.

Settle are in line for another fantastic season, and for sure the excitement is building around the club ahead of the season's curtain-raiser.