WITHAM Cricket Club are edging ever closer to a historic first-ever Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division one crown, but captain Jake Wakelin says his team are staying cool as the title race heats up.

With second-placed Wivenhoe and third-placed Hadleigh still breathing down their necks still, leaders Witham kept their nerve in winning by 67 runs at Haverhill last weekend to extend their winning run to 12 games.

With just three games to go and a home fixture against Woolpit coming up on Saturday, Witham would be forgiven for feeling the pressure, but Wakelin insists it it the opposite and that his players are relishing the position they have got themselves in.

"We aren't feeling the pressure - we are enjoying this," said the Witham skipper.

"We are enjoying being top of the league and the excitement of what could potentially happen in three games time.

"There's nothing that we are taking for granted, though, and we know that we will have to keep doing what we have been when we go to Woolpit on Saturday."

Witham had to show the strength in their squad at Haverhill as five first-team players were unavailable, but Wakelin was delighted to see others stepping up to keep their title dreams on course.

He added: "Little things were pleasing for me on Saturday.

"We had no Jim Suett, Leroy Facey, Chris Huntington, Shaun Bragg or Kaan Hawes and that's five senior players to have out, but we had the likes of Pete Austin coming in and keeping wicket and Ollie Cooke doing a brilliant job with the bat.

"That was so good to see and it's where I see our strength as a club.

"We never rely on one or two players and we have 15 or 16 who will all hold their hands up when they are called on."

Wakelin said he expected to have a few selection dilemmas for the trip to Woolpit as James Suett, Leroy Facey and Shaun Bragg would all return, however, Chris Huntington is still rated as 50/50 due to a knee problem.