Cheltenham Cricket Club player/coach Luke Sellers has heaped huge praise on the club’s first-team squad after they regained their place in Premier One of the West of England Premier League.
 
The club booked their spot in the top flight for the first time in a decade after they clinched the Premier Two Glos/Wilts title on Saturday, with a 41-run win over Trowbridge.
 
It was rich reward for everyone connected with the club and, in particular, skipper Will Simmons who has announced he will now stand down as captain after 10 years in charge.
 
Simmons took over the captaincy when the club were relegated from the top flight in 2008, and he has now realised his long-held ambition to return the club to the top table of regional cricket.
 
And while Simmons’ role as captain as well as wicketkeeper/batsman has been one of the keys to the club’s success this season – he wants to continue as a player next season – one of the things that has delighted Sellers most this year is that it has been an all-round team effort that has earned the club a place alongside the likes of Clevedon, Bath and Downend in 2019.
 
“We’ve played some really good cricket,” said Sellers. “I told the players in the dressing room after the game against Trowbridge that not only are they a team of excellent boys, every single player in the squad has produced a match-winning performance or a match-influencing performance.
 
“It was a real squad effort and it’s not too often that you can say that. Usually it’s one or two players who dominate. It’s very pleasing and we’ve got a very happy club.”
 
It was Cheltenham’s form in the second half of the season that sparked their title surge, holding off a strong challenge from Thornbury.
 
“We were unbeaten in 11 games, winning nine of them,” said Sellers. “The other two games were rained off when we were in good positions.”
 
That augurs well for next season, of course, so how will Cheltenham fare at the higher level?
 
“It’s difficult for me to say because I’ve never played in Premier One, but if you look at our squad I think we’re equipped to be very competitive,” Sellers said.
 
“If you look at our bowling attack we’ve got three frontline seamers, and Josh Breed is as good a leg-spinner as you’ll find in club cricket.”
 
And bowling leg-spin isn’t the only weapon in the 19-year-old’s armoury, because as well as taking 30-odd wickets he scored 650 runs.
 
No wonder Sellers says “it would be magnificent” if they could hold on to the South African all-rounder.
 
Breed was complemented in the spin bowling department by Sam Didcote, who is an “exceptional off-spinner”, says Sellers.
 
The batsmen have also played their part in Cheltenham’s success, particularly in the second half of the season.
 
“At least four of them got centuries and another made 99,” said seamer Sellers. “Kieran Smith made a 100 on Saturday and was the league’s second highest run scorer, so while we may add one or two players we are not going to make wholesale changes.
 
“The good thing is that pretty much everyone is under 30. It’s only me and Will who are old!”
 
Will Simmons, of course, has been Cheltenham’s ‘Captain Marvel’ for many, many years and Sellers is certainly a big supporter.
 
“His story is quite remarkable,” added Sellers. “He’s been captain for the 1st XI or the 2nd XI for a third of his life and I can’t speak highly enough of him as a man, competitor and cricketer.
 
“When Cheltenham were relegated 10 years ago and he took over as captain they were a very different club to what they are today.
 
“He holds old values very highly, putting the club before anything else. The squad who have just won promotion are the nicest bunch of people and the least egocentric group of people you could meet.
 
“He has made the club the focal point. It’s a happy, successful club and so much of that is down to Will.”
 
And even though the league season is now over there is still plenty to look forward to in the coming days, with the club’s presentation evening followed by their annual beer festival at the weekend.