Jake Wakelin is asking Witham Cricket Club’s players to change nothing in the second half of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship season.

Witham head into the second half sitting fifth in the division one table and while an 83-run defeat by Maldon definitely wasn’t the way they would have wanted to finish the opening spell, skipper Wakelin is pleased with what they have achieved so far.

He knows Witham’s strength lies in their team spirit and feels they just need to keep doing what they did in their opening 11 games to stay in contention at the top of the table – starting with Saturday’s home game against Elmstead Grasshoppers.

He said: “Looking at the table, it’s split into two really as you have the top five sides and then those below us.

“Had you said to us at the start of the season that we’d be in that five at the top, only 12 points off the leaders, having lost just three games, we’d certainly have taken it.

“We’re fifth, but the teams above us are all good sides and I think that’s what people are saying about us now.

“It’s been a great start, so we can’t be too down on ourselves after the defeat by Maldon.

“We’ve beaten Sudbury, Coggeshall, Mildenhall and Wivenhoe so far this season and we shouldn’t change anything in the second half of it.

“We need to just keep doing what we have been as our success has come from the togetherness that we have and just enjoying being a team of mates who play cricket."