Table-topping Tewkesbury host Cheltenham Civil Service on Saturday hoping to make it five wins on the spin in the Gloucestershire Division of the West of England Cricket League.

It’s still very early days, of course, but there are certainly some very encouraging signs for a club that were playing in the Gloucestershire League as recently as 2021.

Confidence is obviously high as Tewkesbury look forward to the game against Service, particularly after their 258-run mauling of Charlton Kings at the weekend.

That win included a remarkable 273-run opening partnership by Tom Stevens and James Whitmore, helping the club to post a huge total of 383-8 from their 50 overs.

Stevens smashed 142 from 111 balls and Whitmore’s 117 came off 112 deliveries as they hit 43 fours and three sixes between them.

Saturday’s victory followed impressive wins over Stroud, Frocester 2nds and Gloucester, who are currently second in the table, and cricket manager Mark Tompkins said: “We’ve started well, the new signings have fitted in very, very well.”

Chief among them is Stevens, who joined the club from Woodpeckers. An all-rounder, he’s been among the wickets, too, with Tompkins adding: “He bowls at a decent pace.”

And while Stevens is clearly in a very rich vein of form, there are plenty of others who are putting up their hands for experienced captain Wade Ridsdale.

“Tom Allcoat has returned to the club from Bridgwater this season,” continued Tompkins. “He brings experience and enhanced skill levels.

“Randeera Ranasingha bowled particularly well on Saturday – he bowls quick – and our left-arm spinner Sanath Jayawardhana has bowled very tightly, he’s bowled 30 overs and gone for something like 40 runs this season.”

Tewkesbury will be strong favourites against newly promoted Cheltenham Civil Service  – they’ve yet to win a league game this season and are bottom of the 10-strong division – but Tompkins is certainly not taking anything for granted.

“We’re pleased with the start we’ve made but we’ve got to keep doing what we’ve been doing.” he said. “As Wade says, we’ve got to do the basics well.

“And we’ve still to play the likes of Bourton Vale, Cirencester and Dumbleton who are all good teams.”

When Tompkins spoke to The Local Answer before the start of the campaign he said the aim was to improve on last season’s eighth-placed finish.

“We knew we had put a good group of lads together,” he said, “but you never know what will happen until they go out onto the field.”

And while the flagship side are obviously setting high standards at the moment – the aforementioned opening partnership was a league record for the club – there was another club record at the weekend because for the first time all four of their Saturday adult teams won.

The 2^nd XI, who are one point behind the leaders in Division Three of the County League, defeated Hatherley and Reddings 2nds by five wickets, while the 3^rd XI, who are third in Division One East of the Cheltenham/Gloucester/Forest of Dean League, enjoyed an eight-wicket success against Birdlip and Brimpsfield 2nds.

And the 4^th XI, who were formed this season, recorded their first win of the campaign in Division Two East of the Cheltenham/Gloucester/Forest of Dean League with a 37-run success against Aston Ingham.

That was a match which featured Tompkins, who is now 61 but someone who played at a very decent level in his native Essex back in the day.

He was a late call-up so how did he fare on Saturday?

“I was adjudged lbw for three,” he said, before adding, “but I got a wicket.”

So what does he bowl these days?

“Slow rubbish,” he laughed.

He actually bowled five overs for just 13 runs and was obviously more than happy to play.

And he’ll be even happier if Tewkesbury can build on their bright start to the season over the coming weeks and months.