Rather like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ballon d’Or, Frocester and Bath cricket clubs have been fighting it out between themselves for the West of England League Premier One title over the past decade.

Last season it was Bath’s turn after Frocester had won it for the previous two years.

This season, however, there is some concern that Frocester could find themselves on a sticky wicket after losing their talismanic all-rounder Paul Muchall to their perennial title rivals.

That is the view of the Gloucestershire club’s secretary and long-serving stalwart Eric Woodmason who told the Local Answer: “Muchall was offered a deal that was too good to turn down.

“It’s obviously a big blow for us because he has been the league’s player of the year for the past two seasons.

“He bats three and opens the bowling so we’ve got to find someone to replace his runs and wickets.

“He’s become a very effective performer over the past three years and Bath are now huge favourites to win the Premier One title.”

Muchall, the 30-year brother of recently retired Durham batsman Gordon, was on Gloucestershire’s books before linking up with Frocester.

Woodmason hopes the club have found the man to replace Muchall’s wickets in the shape of Sri Lanka A left-arm seamer Vimukthi Perera.

The 27-year-old arrives with his reputation enhanced after knocking over England’s two rising batsmen, Keaton Jennings and Haseeb Hameed, for not very many on the recent Lions tour.

An old face is also returning to the club after a year away. Richie Cave took a break from cricket and Woodmason said: “He’s a second change seamer who can bowl you 10 overs. It’s good to have him back.”

Right-arm seamer Tom Drake is another player Woodmason is hoping will be able to make inroads into opposition batting line-ups.

“Everybody’s got to work that bit harder – bowlers and batsmen,” he said. “All the batsmen are capable of getting 100 runs more than they did last season.”

Woodmason said skipper Nick Trainor may have to move up the order from the number five or six positions he occupied last season to compensate for the departure of Muchall.

He is also looking to Sam Bracey, Louis Gegg and Uzi Qureshi to increase their run scoring.

Muchall’s Frocester innings may be over... but it also provides opportunity for others.