Whitminster Cricket Club have celebrated their third successive promotion.

The club's first team will compete in Division Five of the Gloucestershire Cricket League next year, after promotion was secured on the final day of the season with victory over Chedworth.

Chedworth were dismissed for just 53 with Lee Medcroft taking four wickets for just eight runs in a spell which included four maidens and Lee Mansell taking 4-21. Whitminster chased down the total inside 12 overs in front of a home crowd.

The hat-trick of promotions comes after being relegated from the Gloucestershire County Cricket League in 2017. The 1st XI won the Stroud District Cricket Association (SDCA) Premier Division in 2018, finishing unbeaten, and were crowned champions again a year later in 2019, this time of Division Seven in the County League. The Covid-hit 2020 season saw non-competitive cricket played and the team registered another unbeaten run.

First XI captain, Lewis Cook, said: “This has been an incredible season.

"To go from the Stroud District League to Division Five of the County League in just three competitive seasons is testament to the players, culture and depth of squad at the club.

"We are relishing the challenge Division Five will bring and would like to thank our players, groundsman, sponsors, families and wider community who have helped us to get there.”

The club is also flourishing off the pitch. Local company Jay Bee Plant Sales came on board as club sponsor in 2019 and this year gifted the club brand new covers and a new roller which will enable more games to be played despite the unpredictable weather.

Two new state-of-the-art sight screens have also recently arrived at the club, bought in memory of late team mate Graham Toms who passed away in 2018.

The growth of the club continues with the introduction of All Stars and Dynamos youth cricket, a national England Cricket Board initiative for 5-8 year-olds and 8-11 year-old children respectively. In just their second year of All Stars and inaugural year of Dynamos, the club welcomed almost 50 families to Whitminster Playing Field for weekly youth cricket sessions this summer.