Portishead coach Cameron Gray says his side need to be on top of their game when they take on Lansdown seconds, insisting they will “take the positives” from their three-wicket victory at Bishopston last weekend.

This Saturday will see Gray coach his first match at the Lake Grounds after coming back to the club following a knee injury which stopped him playing five years ago.

A phone call from captain Charlie Dangerfield saw him accept the invitation to come back and coach Posset, in an association which has lasted for over 40 years, on and off, ever since starting with the club as an eight-year-old.

“It’s nice to be invited to come back in and move us forward, so that’s what we will be looking to do this season,” Gray said.

“Hopefully the experience I can bring back and the organisational skills can help us as we move forward this season.

“It means a lot to me this club because I’ve been here since I was very young. I’ve seen it all, I’ve seen all the players come and go over the years.

“For me personally, it means a lot to me for us to succeed but also to improve.

“We have got a lot of really good players and I’m sure ability wise we can do it this year.

“We just need to work very hard on Tuesdays and Thursdays and perform on a Saturday and take that mentality forward.”

Ahead of his first match as coach at home this weekend, Gray will have mixed loyalties, having played for the club in the late 1980s, but he will put them aside to ensure they follow up their win at BIshopston with another victory this weekend.

“Lansdown are a big club, I used to play there. They have got some very good players, they have got a big pool in Bath to pick from,” he added.

“When they drop off at our ground next week they are going to be looking to win, no doubt, because every club is going to be looking to win when they turn up in Portishead.

“We are going to have to be on our game, we are going to have to improve from this week, take the positives and take them into next week’s game and make sure we are ready for it and apply ourselves properly.”

Gray said he was left delighted by his side’s character to open their season with a three-wicket run at Bishopston.

And he has full belief his side can go on a run and earn promotion back to Division One after suffering relegation in 2019.

“(I’m) really happy. No matter what’s gone on we got the win for our first game,” he added.

“The two pre-season games (against Golden Hill and St Mary Redcliffe) have gone very well and the boys have showed great application.

"Two lads (Dangerfield and Nic Anderson) have hit hundreds in the first two matches, another lad hit 94 (Ollie Savory). The boys have batted and bowled well.

“Obviously, this (Saturday’s) game is our first league game, slightly upping the standards and obviously a few nerves from the boys.

“The last few seasons haven’t been great, they haven’t been performing but we have got a lot of talented players at the club, especially in the first team and I think they will find their level as we go forward and start performing on a regular basis.”