Painswick Cricket Club are celebrating after clinching promotion back to the West of England Premier League.
 
They will play in the Gloucestershire Division of the WEPL next season alongside the likes of Stroud, Hatherley and Reddings and Gloucester City Winget.
 
It’s a level they’ve played at before and chairman Ian Hogg said everyone connected with the club is looking forward to making the step up after their Gloucestershire County League Division One title success this season.
 
“We’re very pleased,” said Hogg, who has also doubled up as the 1st XI’s scorer this season. “We’re a young side, seven of the players are under-23.”
 
There is the odd older head in the side, however, including former Gloucester rugby star Nick Marment, who batted six and bowled five overs of off-spin as Painswick clinched the County League title with a 125-run win over Apperley.
 
“It was a good team effort this season,” added Hogg, “everyone chipped in.”
 
When pushed to pick out a key player or players, Hogg said Luke Woolway.
 
“He’s only 19 and he’s an outstanding wicketkeeper,” Hogg continued. “He’s so quick. He also batted at four and scored a couple of centuries but everyone’s done well.”
 
That includes skipper Jack Hobbis, who made 61 batting at eight against Apperley, and shared in a ninth-wicket partnership of 111 with Julian Telling to help steer Painswick to 280 for nine. He later took three wickets, including three of the first four wickets to fall after Apperley had made a solid start to their reply.
 
“He took over as captain part way through last season and we won nine on the trot,” said Hogg. “He’s ex-Birmingham League, he used to play for West Bromwich Dartmouth before moving down here.”
 
While Hobbis is relatively new to Painswick, opening batsman James Harber is one of the older guard.
 
“He’s done well as usual,” said Hogg. “He really likes to hit the ball and if he comes off it’s demoralising for bowlers.”
 
Hogg reckons the club need to find another couple of batsmen if they are to succeed at the higher level next year.
 
“We struggle for consistency,” he said, “although the potential is there.
 
“The bowling is absolutely fine. I think only once in two seasons have we conceded more than 200 runs in an innings and that was against Corse and Staunton.”
 
Clearly these are healthy times for a club that run three senior teams on a Saturday and also have a thriving youth section.
 
And it’s not just in the County League that the club have enjoyed success this season.
 
“We won the Gloucester Midweek League and lost in the final of the Stroud Cup to Frocester by one run,” added Hogg.