POTTERNE captain Neil Clark reckons the task of clinching promotion from the Premier Two division will be easier than in the Glos/Wilts last season.

The villagers moved up into the second tier of the West of England Premier League as Glos/Wilts champions but Clark thinks that his side now find themselves in a less competitive division.

“Only one team goes up from the Glos/Wilts, so teams spend big money to try and finish top but, in this league, there are two going up so it’s actually an easier division,” said Clark.

“In the league below, if you lose a couple of games at the start of the season, you can rule out getting promoted but it’s not like that in this one.

“At our team meeting at the start of the season, our chairman, Fred Kerley said that we should aim to stay in the division but I thought that we were good enough to go up again.

“We’re top of the league and if we beat (second-placed) Clevedon this weekend, we’ll open up a bit of a gap”

Potterne went top with a four-wicket win at Cheltenham last weekend.

After winning the toss in a rain-reduced encounter, Josh De Souza (3-33) and Stan Alsop (3-6) turned the screw to limit the hosts.

Cheltenham’s Matt Jennings hit 84 but the home side were all out for 188 at the end of the 43rd over.

In reply, Sahan Wijerathne top-scored with 70 as skipper Clark chipped in with 52.

Opener Luke De Souza also made 35 as Potterne reached 192-6 midway through the final 43rd over.

Goatacre’s game at Minehead was rained off.

On Sunday, Brad Dawson’s men saw their progress in the National Village Cup come to an end as they were beaten by Parley in the Dorset & Wiltshire group final.

Skipper Dawson took 4-18 whilst Matt House and Jif Wilkins both claimed two apiece as the hosts were skittled for 153 after 40 overs.

But Goatacre’s run chase stuttered, Dan Horton top-scoring with just 36.

Kevin Iles struck 17 as Parley’s Jamie Hicks (3-24) and Ollie Green (3-13) saw the visitors all out for 134.

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