POTTERNE skipper Ashur Morrison hopes momentum established from the tail end of this season can be transferred into next year after concluding their Premier One campaign against Clevedon on Saturday.

Although Morrison’s troops registered their seventh loss of the year against the league’s champions, Potterne did manage to win six of their eight concluding fixtures – form which ultimately lifted the club to finish fourth in the division.

Clevedon’s first innings total of 215 proved sufficient for the hosts, who restricted Potterne to 170 all out in reply.

Morrison said: “Saturday was a frustrating result, I felt we could have played better.

“I don’t think many of us got out to good balls, a few of us gave away our wickets. But it’s the end of the season and not too much was riding on the game.

“I can’t complain when I look back and understand we’ve won six of our last eight matches – one of those being against the eventual champions.

“Hopefully we can take this positive end-of-year momentum into next season. We need to build on the lessons we’ve learnt.

“The last eight games have proved we’re capable of playing very good cricket. If we didn’t lose to some teams we should be beating, then Clevedon may have been given a run for their money.”

A favourable wicket for spin bowlers helped the home side’s cause as eight of Potterne’s 11 batsmen failed to pass 20.

Thomas Cullen (34), Ed Young (33) and Sahan Wijerathne (36) were the pick of the scorers for the visitors, who were undone by accurate bowling from Jacob Lintott – who returned with figures of 5-28.

“It wasn’t a bad deck, it was a typical Clevedon wicket – they normally produce a spinning deck,” said Morrison.

“They had six spinners – conditions really did suit them. But that shouldn’t take anything away from how they played.

“They played good cricket and deserved the victory.

“There are definitely mixed emotions now, though.

“After playing so well at the back end of the season, it is disappointing that we couldn’t start in that manner.

“But we are pleased with the way we ended the year, it was a good way to hopefully move and build for next year.”

Elsewhere in Premier One, Goatacre’s relegation from the division was confirmed after they lost by four wickets against Bridgwater, who ended the year in sixth.