THE race for the Premier One title is hotting up.

Holders Frocester share 194 points at the summit with Bath as the season reaches a thrilling climax.

The excitement really mounts over the next fortnight with Bristol the visitors to Pounds Close next Saturday and Bath making the trip the following week. These two encounters could decide the destiny of the Premier One title.

Frocester overcame a potential banana skin at Potterne on Saturday, winning by eight-wickets after dismissing the home team for 166.

With Nick Trainor absent, Paul Muchall skippered the side and when Potterne won the toss and elected to bat, Muchall ripped in to the top order, taking the first three wickets, with the home team reeling on 32-3.

Ross Martin (2-39), Tom Drake (3-27) and Andrew Hazeldine (1-34) provided good support as Potterne slumped to 126-8.

There was a minor recovery, but Muchall finished with 4-31 as Potterne were bowled out for 166 in 42 overs.

Louis Gegg and Uzi Qureshi raced away to a quick start for Frocester, but both were back in the pavilion with the score on 36-2 from six overs. This brought Muchall and Tom Wand together at the crease and they matched each other run-for-run to take Frocester to victory with an unbeaten 131 run partnership.

Muchall finished with 63 not out, whilst Wand finished on 62 not out, completing the required runs in the 29th over.

FROCESTER defeated Bishopston in the County Cup, winning by six-wickets in chasing a rain reduced target.

Bishopston batted first and made 243-7 from their 45 overs. James Pilling (88) and Lawrence Cook (72) featured in a partnership of 161 that provided the bulk of their runs.

Liam O’Doherty (35) opened with Louis Gegg in a 99-run opening partnership, but, Gegg, with 84 not out, played a match-winning innings, as Frocester reached their required total of 186 in the 30th over, losing four wickets in the process.

FROCESTER 2nd X1 made short work of Woodmancote in the WEPL Gloucestershire division, chasing down 206, winning by nine-wickets with 15 overs to spare.

Frocester produced a tight bowling and fielding performance to reduce the visitors to 119-7 from 35 overs.

However, with Chris Fereday scoring 70 from 70 deliveries, they recovered to 206-8 in their 50 overs. Liam O’Doherty led the Frocester charge with another brilliant century and it looked as if Frocester would stroll to a 10- wicket victory, but James Cook fell to a stunning catch at square leg, returning to the pavilion with 74 runs to his name. Frocester remain second, 10 points behind Tewkesbury.

FROCESTER 3rd X1 suffered two narrow defeats over the weekend.

In the league on Saturday they lost by one-wicket to Oldlands with Ben Spyvee scoring a century and Steve Tegg 72 in Frocester’s 241-6. On Sunday, in the County Trophy, AIW scored 278-6 and Frocester fell 22 runs short on 256-7, with Renaldo Hyland scoring his first century for the club with 132 not out.