Young Henry Ball will be promoted up the batting order after his final-over heroics for Quedgeley & Hardwicke last weekend.

The 14-year-old strode to the wicket when the ninth wicket fell, with his side needing four runs from two balls to overhaul Frampton-on-Severn’s 221-7.

He took two from the first ball he faced and then struck the next ball to long-on for another two to clinch the narrowest of victories.

Quedgeley & Hardwicke travel to Dymock tomorrow for a Gloucestershire Cricket League Division Three game, and skipper Jake Huggins said: “I think he’ll be batting at nine on Saturday, he’s a good little player.”

Ball also bowls leg-spin and Quedgeley & Hardwicke’s win keeps them in second place in the 10-strong division, 10 points behind leaders Woodmancote and eight ahead of third-placed Gloucester AIW Sports.

The top two will be promoted and Huggins, who is in his first season as captain, said: “We’ve done pretty well, we’ve lost a few players from last season but we’ve brought in a few young players and they’ve done well.”

Ball is one of those but he’s certainly not alone.

His older brother Edward, batting at six, hit a quickfire 29 from 16 balls in Saturday’s successful run chase and Huggins continued: “Ethan Lovegrove is 16 and he’s done well opening the batting.

“And Josh Graham, who was batting at 10 against Frampton, is a good, young seam bowler.”

Lovegrove made 26 on Saturday while opening partner Mike Carratu anchored the innings with a well made 63.

Earlier left-arm seamer Sunny Kalcutt took 4-45, including the key wickets of Stephan De Jager (75) and captain Billy Curtis (74).

After facing bottom-of-the-table Dymock, Quedgeley & Hardwicke, who won promotion last season, host Woodmancote on Saturday 9^th  August, before travelling to Gloucester AIW Sports the following week.

With all teams having five games remaining, there is certainly plenty to play for in the final month of the season.