In-form Great Rissington head to Fairford tomorrow knowing that a win could catapult them to the top of Division Two of the Gloucestershire County Cricket League.

As it is, they are occupying one of the two promotion places, and with the two teams either side of them playing each other this weekend it could be that they find themselves leading the way in the 10-strong division by Saturday evening.

Rissington, who have won six and lost two of their nine league games – the other one was cancelled – trail leaders Thornbury 2nds by five points, while they have a four-point advantage over third-placed Cam.

Cam travel to Thornbury, who were relegated from Division One last season, tomorrow.

“We’re having a good season,” said Great Rissington chairman and groundsman John Surch. “The 2^nd XI are too. We’ve got a good youth set-up and two or three of those players have really come through this season.

“A couple of years ago we had a very good under-15 side. If they weren’t the best in the county they were in the top two, and those players are now making an impact in adult cricket.”

Chief among them are Rex Chiles and Adam Taylor.

Chiles is the nephew of TV personality Adrian Chiles and Surch, who played his first game for the club as a nine-year-old more than 50 years ago, said: “He’s an all-rounder, he bowls spin and bats in the middle order. Adam Taylor is a good opening bowler.”

Rissington finished mid-table in 2022 – they were playing in Division Four as recently as 2018 – but have really kicked on this season under the captaincy of George Garratt.

Garratt, a left-arm medium-paced bowler who bats seven or eight, has been leading the team for the past four or five years and Surch, a former captain himself, said: “He’s doing a good job, he captains the side very well.

“We’d like to progress as far as we can, playing in the WEPL would be good. We’ve got fantastic facilities, the county play youth games at Rissington.”

As the groundsman that is obviously a source of pride for Surch, as is the progress being made by the club’s 2^nd XI this season.

They are unbeaten and lead the way in Division Two of the Cotswold District Cricket Association League, with Surch adding: “We’ve always had a good core of older players but the youngsters have come in and made both teams stronger. If the 2nds can win the title it would be very good for the club.”

Surch, now 63, was an opening batsman back in the day and he was still playing cricket last season.

He lives in the village and the cricket club means a lot to him. His wife Amanda is the club’s welfare officer while daughter Tina is the youth co-ordinator. John has been chairman for the past 15 or 20 years and he more than anyone knows how much hard work it takes to run a successful cricket club.

“It’s quite fierce competition in the Cotswolds,” he said. “Bourton are only two or three miles away and Shipton-under-Wychwood are close by, we’re all playing a good standard of cricket.

“We’re in the countryside, there’s fierce competition for good players.”