FROCESTER and Goatacre are locked together on the same number of points with four rounds of games to go in the race for the one promotion place from WEPL Premier Two Glos/Wilts.
Half centuries from skipper Will Naish and Uzi Qureshi helped Frocester bank 20 points from a five-wicket home win over struggling Warminster while Goatacre earned 19 points as they saw off Cheltenham by three wickets.
Both sides, though, will need no reminding that the prize of a place in Premier One could well be sorted on Saturday week when they meet with Frocester having home advantage.
At the other end of the table, Stroud succumbed by 55 runs at Corsham despite Angus Gegg’s haul of 5-46 while Hatherley & Reddings lost out by two runs at Burbage & Easton Royal despite opener Lesego Senokwane’s 78.
Promoted Corse & Staunton continued their fine season with a 40-run home win against Marshfield, Brad Fulton and Callum King both taking three wickets.
In Premier One, captain Sai Kamuni once again led from the front with figures of 4-53 and 114 in Bedminster’s six-wicket home triumph over Taunton Deane, but Thornbury suffered a 107-run reverse away to Taunton St Andrews.
Bristol, the runaway leaders of Premier Two Bristol/Somerset, blitzed nearest rivals Weston-super-Mare by nine wickets, opener Nic Halstead Cleak unbeaten on 129 off 108 (21 fours, three sixes).
Bishopston were five-wicket victors at Ilminster, while Winterbourne moved out of the bottom two with a 109-run home success over Downend that featured two fine individual performances.
Darren Vickery cracked an unbeaten 95 off 76 to help his side rally from 27-4 to 272-8 before captain George Ford’s second successive five-wicket haul wrapped up the points.
Josh Beal, meanwhile, was out for 127 off 104 (14 fours, four sixes) in Golden Hill’s 157-run humbling of Shapwick & Polden.
Gloucestershire division leaders Painswick were 101-run home victors over Rockhampton, George MacDuff top scoring on 81, while Dumbleton kept the pressure on with a 124-run triumph at Apperley where Tommy Boorman hit 105 and took 4-8 from 3.2 overs.
It was much tighter at Cirencester where Gloucester squeezed in by one wicket, Scott Montgomery’s dogged 48 from 83 proving crucial.
Bourton Vale slipped up by 53 runs at home to Frocester 2nds while Benny Ellis top scored on 108 off 80 (11 fours, four sixes) for Charlton Kings who defeated Tewkesbury by 90 runs.
Bradley Stoke kept alive their hopes of wriggling out of the drop zone with a 74-run home win over fellow strugglers OB Westbury that featured a second Bristol & North Somerset century of the summer from captain James Fletcher.
Bedminster 2nds remain bottom but are still in control of their own destiny after an eight-run win away to third placed Knowle, Joe Millard the pick of the attack with figures of 4-54.
The top two of Congresbury and Keynsham both won. Congresbury trumped Bath 2nds while Keynsham saw off Bristol 2nds by eight wickets.
Parag Khanapurkar (105 off 78) and opener Charlie Brain (89) put on 188 for the second wicket, paving the way for Brislington to see off Twyford House by 79 runs.