WITHAM Cricket Club captain Jake Wakelin is targeting title honours for his team next year after another successful season in the top flight of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship.

The 2016 season finished with a win for Witham against Copford as they ended the campaign sitting third in the division one table and, having been in the top two the year before, Wakelin wants them to push for the top in 2017.

“It has been a very successful season for the club,” said Wakelin.

“We’ve finished third and could have won it had Mildenhall been docked points in the way that Coggeshall have been for fielding an ineligible player.

“They’ve been penalised while Mildenhall weren’t, but had they been, they’d have been well down the table and we’d have had 12 extra points that would have put us above [second-placed] Wivenhoe in top position.

“That’s a bit frustrating, but it has been another good year for us.

“We finished second last year, which came a bit out of nowhere to be honest, but we said to ourselves that a top-four finish would be good this year and we’ve done that comfortably.

“Everyone has given their all.

“We don’t really have any individuals who we rely on as we are a group of mates who play for each other and it means the club is in a very good position.

“I think it also means we should be looking to win the league next year.

“This year we have lost some silly games to teams we shouldn’t have been losing to and that cost us any real chance to fight for the title, but next year we should be looking to win it.

“We have seen progression this year and we are a team full of young local players who are all that one year older and wiser now.

“These last two years have seen people having to deal with being a team who is targeted by opponents, but they have all dealt with the pressure and I feel the club is in a very healthy position now.”

The season concluded with a three-wicket success at Copford for Witham and while it wasn’t the most decisive of their victories this year, Wakelin was pleased to bow out on a high.

He added: “It wasn’t the nicest of days and the game was reduced to 40 overs a-side due to rain, but we made it a bit of a fun day by mixing the order up a bit as we knew we couldn’t finish higher or lower than third.

“James Suett switched places with Matt McKendry in opening the bowling and he got two wickets, which was good and we then picked up wickets pretty regularly.

“It was a bit of a scrappy batting card but it was a bit of a celebration as we knew the result wouldn’t affect where we finished and we got the job done.

“It was an enjoyable end to another successful season.”