“It’s the best game I’ve played in,” said Fairford captain Charlie Little after his side’s dramatic one-run over Dymock on Saturday.

The 26-year-old was Fairford’s last-over bowling hero, taking a wicket with the final ball to clinch their seventh victory of the campaign in Division Three of the Gloucestershire Cricket League.

But for long periods it had seemed as though the home side were going to overhaul Fairford’s 239-5 to give them some hope of avoiding relegation.

“They needed 10 off the last two overs, five from the final over and two off the last ball,” said Little, who is in his first season as captain. “They had loads of wickets in hand.”  

Indeed they did because they ended their 40 overs on 238-5 after starting the 39^th over with their fourth-wicket pair at the crease.

“At the start of their innings I thought it was our game to win,” said Little. “Then it looked like we were certain to lose but somehow we brought it back.”

Jay Goddard, who had earlier scored 117 from 120 balls, bowled the penultimate over, claiming a wicket with his third ball before bowling three dot balls.

“He’d kept wicket for 30 overs but I needed him to bowl at the end,” said seam bowler Little, who took 3-50 from his eight overs.

Little conceded just two runs off the bat in his final over – there was also a leg bye – as Fairford ended a run of five successive defeats.

He had earlier taken the key wicket of opener Dan Gale, who made 130 off 109 balls, and was delighted to get the win that lifts the club up to fifth in the 10-strong division.

“It’s been tough the past few weeks but then everything comes up roses,” he said.

“We’ve had a lot of young lads in the team this season. Last season we did really well to stay up because we won only three games.

“If you’d have offered me midtable at the start I’d have been very happy.”

Little, who has taken 24 wickets in the league this season, has been a first-team regular for the past decade having started playing for the club when he was six. His dad Guy is a former player and chairman at the club.