Australian bowler Mark Steketee adds strength to Yorkshire CCC bowling attack

Darren Gough, Yorkshire’s managing director of cricket, has moved quickly to try and build on the momentum derived from a first Division Two win of the season at Derbyshire this week, and a first in four-day cricket since last April.

Steketee, 29, will be available for selection for the County Championship game against Gloucestershire at Headingley, starting June 25, and will be one of the club’s two overseas players alongside Shan Masood, the captain, who so calmly piloted Yorkshire to victory against Derbyshire at Chesterfield earlier this week.

Queenslander Steketee, pictured, will be available for an initial four-game spell in Division Two, though the club say there is scope for an extension to his stay at Headingley.

Gough said: “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. 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 and we now feel we have got a squad where we have plenty of opportunities for everyone.”

The talented right-arm seamer currently sits on 248 first-class wickets from 69 appearances, of which 70 have come across the last two Sheffield Shield seasons for his home state.

In 2021/22, he was the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 32 from six appearances. In the most recent campaign, he was third on that list with 38 from nine.

He spent time with Essex last season, playing against Yorkshire in the May County Championship draw at Chelmsford. He claimed 10 wickets in five Championship matches for them.

In February 2022, he was called up to Australia’s Test squad for their tour of Pakistan but didn’t play.

Steketee is a former Australia under-19 representative and made his domestic debut for Brisbane Heat in the 2013/14 Big Bash League before he played for the National Performance Squad in the quadrangular one-day tournament in the winter of 2014. Steketee made his first-class debut in February 2015 and impressed with seven wickets (3/56 and 4/33) against Tasmania as Queensland powered to an emphatic victory.

As well as the Gloucestershire game, Steketee will be available for the Championship games against Worcestershire at New Road from Monday, July 10; versus Sussex at Headingley from Wednesday, July 19; and against Durham at Scarborough from Tuesday, July 25.