CINDERFORD St John's signalled their intent to return to a higher level of cricket with an amazing victory which took them just 22 balls on Saturday.
In exactly 19 minutes and off just 3.4 overs they achieved a massive win over Kings Stanley and plundered 21 Readers Gloucester County League points.
The Stroud team were always on the back foot.
They had won the toss and elected to bat and that was their first big mistake.
They were unable to cope with the bowling of Mark Roberts and Craig Kibble who plundered four wickets each. Kings Stanley ended up back in the pavilion with a miserable total of 31 all out.
Roberts ended with figures of 12 overs, five maidens four for 14 while Kibble took four for eight and also included five maidens in a nine over burst.
There was an early shock for St John's as opening bat Matt Whitney was bowled for a duck four balls into the innings – but that was the only piece of luck for the visitors.
Nigel Cartwright (14) and Steve Roberts (10) smashed the Kings Stanley attack as the teams headed for an early tea.
It was a good win for St John's after a disappointing start to the season.
"Because of the weather we have suffered like everyone else and this was our first full game. We have had two home games abandoned and two away games cancelled, so it was an encouraging start," said club spokesman John Roberts.
"If the weather holds we will face our first big test at Tewkesbury this Saturday, but it is fair to say we have our eyes on promotion," he said.
St John's had a taste of cricket in the higher Gloucestershire and Wiltshire League last season and enjoyed the challenge.
"It's a higher standard played on better wickets and it was always going to be a test for us. We beat Lydney and Gloucester but still we could not avoid the drop. It was disappointing," said John.
In their last season in the County League they achieved a remarkable unbeaten run of 10 successive league games and it is that consistency they are hoping to reproduce this time round under new captain Mark House.
"We have an experienced side with plenty of batting and we go a long way down the order," said John.