Promotion-winning experts Quedgeley & Hardwicke look as though they may be at it again.

Last season’s Gloucestershire County League Division Five champions are now chasing a place in Division Three as the 2024 campaign reaches the business end.

They’ve won nine and lost one of their league games this season – two have been cancelled and two have been abandoned – and they are currently second as they prepare to host seventh-placed Frocester 3rds on Saturday.

They trail leaders Woodmancote by 10 points and are just two points ahead of third-placed Bourton Vale 2nds, and with all three teams having four games to play it is almost certain that the two promotion places are between the current top three.

And what makes it all the more exciting is that all three teams still have to play each other.

Quedgeley & Hardwicke head to Woodmancote a week on Saturday before travelling to Bourton seven days later, while Bourton go to Woodmancote on Saturday 31^st August, the final day of the season.   

“There are a few big games,” said Quedgeley & Hardwicke all-rounder Ben Hopkins with some understatement. “It’s a good way to end the season, it’s all to play for, it’s going really well.”

And it’s been going really well for Quedgeley & Hardwicke for quite a while now, a club whose flagship team were playing in the Stroud League not so long ago before winning promotion to Division Seven of the County League.

“The whole club is on an upward curve,” added Hopkins. “The 2nd XI are playing in the Premier Division of the Stroud League  and we’ve lots of good youngsters coming through. We’ve got a really good catchment area around Kingsway.”

Anyone new to the club will certainly be impressed by the team’s performances in the County League in 2024, the most recent of which saw them chase down Charlton Kings 2nds’ 191-9 for the loss of just one wicket.

“Our bowling has always been our main strong point, we’ve always been consistent,” said Hopkins. “But our batting has done really well this season, we’ve chased down some good targets.”

Quedgeley & Hardwicke’s final league fixture is at home to Cranham, who are fifth in the 10-strong division.