Their most successful seasons were in the 1950’s when they twice reached the Yorkshire Council semi-finals and were winners of the Bradford Section on seven occasions including five consecutive years from 1951 to 1955. In 1954 they actually finished top of all the Yorkshire Council Clubs, a remarkable achievement for a village of its size.

The early days in the Council saw the emergence of the three brothers Smith into the side. This remarkable family was the backbone of the Club on the playing side while Harry Hustwick held the reins as Secretary and Treasurer. The youngest of the Smith triumvirate, Norman, an astonishingly gifted man in many facets of life, may fairly claim to be the best batsman in the Club’s history. He last won the Batting prize in 1971 and for nearly forty years, until his namesake, Keith Smith, took over, was a prolific scoring batsman.

Illingworth’s early days in the Council were not particularly successful. In fact, 1920 and 1921 were singularly unsuccessful on the field of play, which was not surprising as the Club was playing in a higher standard of cricket.

Their rise in status was such that for their opening match on 24th April, against Elland, they appealed to the County Committee for one or two County XI players to be present at the game. It seems that Roy Kilner and Abe Waddington were to be "entertained and brought to the ground by the secretaries" but this was to no avail when the match was cancelled owing to rain.

Alas, a month later, Elland were met in the return match and the Minutes stated "That this Club will not fix up any dates with the Elland Club, because of the unsportsmanlike attitude they took when our first eleven played their's at Elland and drew with them which resulted in some of our players being very much insulted at the remarks thrown out..."

Happily, the inauspicious start appeared to be only an isolated instance of disharmony on the field and the rest of the decade saw Illingworth making progress until they were fighting for the leading place in both 1928 and 1929.

Six changes of Captain in the 1920’s was hardly a recipe for a successful side when Tom Farrar took over for a four year spell as leader, their noticable improvement in form saw them in contention for the Championship, although it was their move into the Bradford Section in 1936 which really heralded their taste for title winning.

In November, 1921 it was agreed that the Cricket Club should amalgamate with the Illingworth St. Mary’s Tennis Club shortly after which three tennis courts were laid at the side of the cricket field. The venture was not entirely satisfactory to either party and before the outbreak of the second World War the tennis section had ceased to function.

In the 1930’s Women’s hockey had also been introduced when the ground was used by Halifax Optimists Ladies’ Hockey Club and it is perhaps to the credit of the Club that women’s cricket was encouraged at a later date when so few Cricket Clubs in Yorkshire gave any help to that aspect of the sport. It would be wrong to state that the latter was not mainly due to the Rothera family when daughter Brenda, showed exceptional talent as a bowler to add to that family’s noteworthy contributions to Illingworth cricket.

Illingworth’s entry to the Yorkshire Council did account for a less parochial attitude to cricket. Their horizons broadened as they travelled further afield and increasing visits from various County Committeemen, officials and players were in evidence at Annual Dinners and Prize Givings. In 1928 a Benefit Match over two evenings was arranged for Percy Holmes, the popular Yorkshire opening batsman.

Illingworth moved into the Wharfedale Section of the Council in 1926 and to the Bradford Section ten years later. Their cricket prospered but it was 1939 before their first tangible success in the Yorkshire Council when Fred Hardcastle led them to the Bradford Section Championship. Most members of the Club were of the opinion that the Bradford Section was the weakest in the Council and, in spite of further seasons of success in the post war period, under Norman Smith, Jack Rothera and Ronnie Holroyd, there was a distinct feeling that the Club should enter fresh pastures. In fact, in 1953, they attempted to get into the Yorkshire Central League without success; their main reasons for a change being put down to the fact that the Bradford Section was declining in numbers and this particularly affected the second eleven who had lacked a full Fixture List for some time.

The Bradford Section did eventually disintegrate and Illingworth were further aggrieved when David Brown’s 2nd XI attempted to join the Council alongside its first tean Illingworth did have three seasons in the Free-Lance Section again reaching the Council semi-finals in 1958 to follow their similar success in 1954 - but they were thankful to be received into the folds of the Airedale & Wharfedale Senior League for the 1962 season.

In 1938 a new tea tent had been purchased for the sum of £125 and further future projects of the Club had to be suspended because of the War. After hostilities ceased there was much talk of a new housing estate being built and the cricket club felt themselves to be in some danger. The Church was still the landlord but the purchase of the ground for £500 in 1950 was negotiated and settled thanks to such successive Chairmen as Wilkinson Morley, Frank Berry and Frank Fox backed up by the indefatigable Norman Smith, Norman Tatham and Stanley Brearley.

In 1950 the Club became a Limited Company and shortly afterwards gas and heating were laid on. Additional Land was purchased from Halifax Corporation In 1951 which enabled the Club to extend and improve the grounds while the stone wall was completed in 1957 after an interminable period of hard work and great expense. The state of the square continued to be greatly admired thanks to the tremendous efforts of Ernest Rothera and later Frank Proctor.

The Club had suffered a great loss when Harry Hustwick retired as Secretary in 1935 and Treasurer in 1936. He had served the Club virtually since its inception and was, of course, to continue to give his all to cricket until his death on 8th January, 1960 at the venerable age of 88. He actually joined the Club in 1884, shortly after its formation and played for the Club up to the end of the Great War in 1918. He had the safisfaction of leading Illingworth to a Parish Cup victory in 1914 and was Secretary of that particular competition for no less than 24 years. He was also Treasurer of the Halifax Cricket League during its first twelve years so his contribution to cricket was hardly confined to the boundaries of Illingworth, although his home Club was his first love. After sixty years’ service to Illingworth C.C., he was presented with a silver rose bowl which he gave to the Club and it was used as an annual award - the Hustwick Trophy - between Illingworth and a selected opponent.

It was fitting that the new Pavilion, built in 1961, was named the "Hustwick Memorial Pavilion". This Pavilion was largely financed and inspired by their enthusiastic Chairman, Frank Fox, and was designed by Norman Tatham,who has continued the great tradition of Club loyalty inspired by Harry Hustwick. As 1984 dawns he continues in full harness after over 40 years as player and Committeeman. Not surprisingly this Pavilion, costing over £3,000, made the Illingworth ground one of the best in the Halifax district and was justly the pride of its many devoted supporters and Committeemen.

Illingworth St. Mary’s Cricket Club had much to be proud of as it entered its new League; their ground would be one of the best in the Airedale and Wharfedale League, even though many of their opponents were to be (and still are) perplexed by the maze of dwellings that had to be negotiated before finding that secluded cricket field surrounded by that splendid stone wall.