FREDDIE Martin hailed Lechlade’s eight-wicket success over Goatacre as one of their finest performance of the season.

The Manor Ground men took full advantage of second-placed Cheltenham’s 47-run defeat at Chippenham to open up a 17-point gap at the top of Premier Two Glos/Wilts ahead of this Saturday’s big title showdown at the Victoria Ground.

Having lost the toss and being put into the field Lechlade managed to use the overcast conditions to get the ball swinging.

The Goats were never able to get any momentum going with the bat as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Martin made the early breakthrough for his side as he removed Jonathan Wilkins for just two and then Liam Smith reduced the visitors to 26-2 with the dismissal of skipper Ed Wilkins.

Jack Haines (38) Giorgio Rigali (35 not out) and Rob Murphy (34) helped Goatacre close 206-7.

“We were pretty undecided what to do at the toss so we were quite happy when they won it,” Martin said. “To be honest I’d probably would have had a bat too.

“Thankfully the conditions early on were quite overcast and that helped get the ball swinging, which suits us – they struggled because after 17 overs they 33-2.

“Once we came out to bat it had cleared up.”

With Lechlade requiring a little more than four-runs-an-over to see them home, Martin’s title-chasers made steady progress with James Palmer and Joe Breet sharing a 51-run opening wicket stand.

Breet (45) and Brad Dial took the score on to 84-1 before the former was caught behind by Ross Dixie off of Haines.

South African U19 World Cup winner Dial (63 not out) and Benny Ellis (56 not out) then steered Lechlade home in the 38th over with a 126-run partnership.

“That was our best all-round performance of the season,” Martin said.

“It now gives us a gap at the top with three games of the season to go and that is our plan to win all three.

“We knew that Goatacre are decent with the new ball, but once our guys got through that tough spell we knew that we would win.

“Joe, Brad and Benny all get set and got stuck into their bowlers and saw us home.”