A WET wicket saw WEPL Glos/Wilts leaders Goatacre slip up for only the second time this season on Saturday, as they were beaten by one wicket in a thriller at Biddestone.

Without all-rounder Liam Dawson, on first class duty with Hampshire, the visitors struggled early on and were soon reduced to 8-3 by the indomitable Naeem Khan’s vicious cutters and seamers.

With the head chopped off the innings, Goatacre stumbled through what few overs they could manage to eventually fall all out at 94 - Khan taking 6-36.

On a damp pitch, the table-toppers seam attack had similar joy with the ball, and only Shaun Liebsich, Dwaine Perry and Khan made it to double figures.

And it was down to last-wicket pair Lawrence Roots and Chris Baker to see the game to its conclusion.

There was anguish for Goatacre, who saw Roots dropped by Sam Parish off Kevin Iles with the scores tied, but afterwards skipper Craig Gibbens said the toss proved critical.

“It was a really important toss to lose and they (Biddestone) did what they had to do,” he said.

“Water had got onto the strip and no at each end, it was halfway across it.

“And it was just on the right spot for where Naeem bowls to the right-handers.

“They put us in and took our wickets. Maybe if we had bowled first we would have got them for even less.

“We were disappointed with the way we batted and maybe some of us need to apply ourselves a little bit more.

“We need to get our heads down because 120 or even 100 would have been a winning score.

“When we don’t have Liam in the team or if Ed Kilbee isn’t getting runs at the top of the order then sometimes we don’t look like we can dig in.

“When the runs are coming freely and we can play our shots we always look dangerous but we need to dig in more.

“Players like Brad (Dawson), Ed (Wilkins), Jif (Wilkins) and Jack (Haines) are the ones we’re looking at.

“Evidently the talent is there and the ability it there, it is just a case of making the most of it.”

Luke Edwards is set to return to the Goatacre team in the coming weeks to add a bit of balance towards the top end of the order.

Goatacre still hold a substantial lead at the top of the division with less than half the season remaining, and four more wins should see Gibbens’ men seal back-to-back promotions.

And for the captain, the fact his side are the masters of their own fate remains a glorious luxury.

“It’s great at this stage of the season to know it’s all in our own hands and all down to us,” he said.

“We want to be winning it outright and that means we need to win a few more matches.

“I was delighted with the second half on Saturday and we were excellent with the ball and in the field, we jsut have to make sure our batting fires.

“Luke should come in and give us some stability. He’s a real accumulator of runs and hopefully that means we can bat around him.”