Cheltenham Cricket Club ended the season with a flourish to claim a top-four spot in Premier One of the West of England Premier League.

Two wins and a tie in their last three games secured their position in the top half of the 10-strong division with the campaign ending on a real high at Bristol as Gloucestershire star Gareth Roderick smashed an unbeaten 131 from 68 balls – seven sixes, 13 fours – to seal a seven-wicket win chasing 238 in a rain reduced 35 overs game.

“It’s been a fantastic season, we’re delighted,” said player/coach Luke Sellers. “The club hadn’t played at this level for a decade and it was uncharted territory for most of the lads.
 
“It was a new challenge and when you consider we were up against some very good sides with big budgets – it’s not a level playing field – it’s even more impressive. Not just competing but to finish fourth, it’s fantastic.
 
“We used the same players who got us promoted the previous season, we kept faith with those boys and it absolutely paid off.”
 
It certainly did although it wasn’t all plain sailing early on because they lost their opening five league games of the season.
 
“We were competitive in all those five games so the message was to stick to our guns and not panic,” said Sellers. “The boys did that and it paid off, I’m really proud of them.”
 
New ball bowler Sellers obviously played his part in the club’s success but as a true team man he was much keener to highlight the performances of others.
 
“George Pritchard was one of the best all-rounders in the division,” Sellers said. “He’s only 19 and he’s Cheltenham through and through.
 
“He’s a fiery fella and bowls quick. His batting has come on too and he must have scored 400 runs and taken 30 wickets this season.
 
“He’s grown as a person and gained maturity.”
 
And while Pritchard was one of the major all-rounders in the division, Kieran Smith was one of the top batsmen.
 
“He’s always done well for the club and he showed again what a good player he is this season,” Sellers said. “He scored three 100s and he’s got that bit of class.”
 
Smith, who was new skipper Nick Evans’ vice-captain, is sure to be with the club again next season and Sellers is hopeful that their overseas all-rounder Josh Breed, who hails from South Africa, will return to the club for a third campaign in 2020.
 
“He’s a proper talent with both bat and ball,” said Sellers. “He’s two players in one with his batting and his leg-spin and we really hope we can keep him.
 
“He’s only 20 and played for Worcestershire 2nds this season which is something he really wants to do because he has ambitions to be a professional cricketer.”

And what about Gloucestershire wicketkeeper/batsman Roderick who played half-a-dozen games for Cheltenham in 2019?

“That innings against Bristol was very enjoyable to watch, I’d have paid money to watch it,” said Sellers.

“He destroyed the Bristol bowling, he played the slog sweep, the reverse sweep, just about every type of shot.

“The great thing about Gareth is that he has close links with the club because this was where he first played when he came over from South Africa.

“He really cares about the club and gives it his all.”

That reflects very well on 28-year-old Roderick, of course, and is obviously great for a club who also saw their 3rd XI win promotion from Division Five of the County League.

“That’s back-to-back promotions for them,” said Sellers. “It shows we’re a healthy club, strong from top to bottom.”  
 
Some of those players will no doubt be enjoying a couple of drinks at the club’s annual beer and wine festival which gets under way on Friday and runs until Sunday.
 
One of the highlights of the three-day bonanza at the Victoria Ground will be a T20 game on the Saturday between a Will Simmons XI and Peter Simmons XI.
 
Will Simmons, who was captain of the club’s flagship side for a decade up until the end of last season, is celebrating his 40th birthday while his dad, the club’s president, is celebrating his 80th birthday.