Dumbleton go to Tewkesbury on Saturday for a game that will go a long way towards deciding which of them will finish top in the Gloucestershire Division of the West of England Premier League this season.

With just two games to go, long-time leaders Tewkesbury hold a six-point advantage, but that gap closed considerably last weekend when they were beaten by 15 runs at home to Bourton Vale.

They collected just seven points from that game, while Dumbleton picked up 19 from their five-wicket win against Cheltenham Civil Service.

“Bourton did us a big favour by getting over the line against Tewkesbury,” said Dumbleton top-order batsman Scott Tremain.

“It’s teed it up very nicely on Saturday, it should be a very exciting weekend, it’s winner takes all.”

Dumbleton’s final game of the season on 2^nd September is at home to eighth-placed Charlton Kings, while Tewkesbury travel to Cirencester, who are one place below Charlton Kings in the 10-strong division.

Tewkesbury’s defeat at home to Bourton was only their second in the league this season and it was Bourton who inflicted the first defeat on them – by three runs – in mid-June.

Dumbleton have also lost just the two games, the most recent at home to Tewkesbury on 24th June when they were beaten by 66 runs in a high-scoring match that saw the visitors post a score of more than 300.

“They’re a good side,” added Tremain, “but we’ve been improving. We’ve been pretty consistent and we’re looking forward to it.

“Both sides have played some good cricket but we’re confident. We’re going to come out all guns blazing and try and get the win.”

Tewkesbury’s aim is the same, of course, with club chairman Gary Hughes hoping they can return to winning ways.

“Every team seems to have another team they find a bit tougher and for us it’s been Bourton,” he said.

“It’s obviously a very big game against Dumbleton but we do still have a slight advantage because we are six points ahead of them.

“It’s all on the day but we’ll be putting out as strong a team as we can.”

Both teams have been disrupted by the bad weather of recent weeks, with Tremain saying: “It’s been a weird season in terms of form because we’ve missed so much cricket.

“When we played Frocester 2nds a couple off weeks ago it was our first game for three or four weeks and it felt like we were starting the season again in April.”

Come next April both teams want to be preparing for life in Premier Two Glos/Wilts of the West of England Premier League – only the champions go up – and promotion is very important for both clubs.

“It would mean a lot,” said Hughes, an opening batsman for the club’s 3rd XI. “It would encourage more players to come to the club.

“As it is we’re thriving. Our top three teams are all going for promotion and this season we’re running a 4th team for the first time.

“We’ve also got three ladies’ teams, two years ago we didn’t have one.”

And Tremain is just as keen to see Dumbleton’s flagship team play at a higher level.

“We finished second last season and don’t want to miss out again,” he said.

“We want to be playing Premier 2 cricket. We’ve got lads who are capable of playing at that level, most of them are under 25. I think there’s only Adam [Stuart] and myself who are above 30.

“They’re hungry, capable and ready for it.”