GOATACRE will receive sixth pick of the best emerging talent from Gloucestershire for the 2013 campaign.

Last season’s third-placed finish in WEPL Premier Two, plus a run to the semi-finals of the National Village Knockout Cup, has helped the club jump up from ninth in line and means Goatacre could have the option of drafting in a seriously exciting future star of the game for their promotion push this term.

Will Gidman was brought in last time around and proved to be an astute acquisition, averaging 66 in his three appearances and scoring 23 per cent of his team’s runs during that time.

Former Goatacre captain Craig Gibbens said Gidman remains on the club’s radar for the coming campaign, but the classy batsman’s fluctuating availability could mean they look elsewhere.

“I think we’ve gone from ninth to sixth on the Gloucester pick when we go to the Gloucester meeting, so we’re in a better position to pick. We’d love to have Will back because he was brilliant to have around the club,” he said.

“You know with Will, though, that you’re not going to get many performances so we might have to look at who else is available. If we can secure someone who might turn out nine or 10 times for us that might be something we look to do.

“If Will’s available I imagine he would be quite high on our shopping list.

“Obviously there have been a few changes there, with Stuart Barnes going to Surrey - he was quite instrumental in organising all of that. They haven’t announced it so we’re just waiting to hear.

“People like Liam Norwell were around and people like that.

“It might be we look at who we think might not be playing an awful lot and someone who might be available eight or nine times.”