MALDON kicked-off the season with a brilliant away win against a very strong Frinton side.

In his debut match as first-team captain, Martyn Coker won the toss and elected to bat in their Marshall Hatchick Two Counties division one match.

Coker said: “It was a fantastic way to start the season.

“Everyone applied themselves, and worked incredibly hard.

“To beat last year’s champions, who only lost once last year and have strengthened their squad further over the winter, is a fantastic start.”

Facing the first ball of the season was Maldon’s returning overseas player, Jamie Glenn, fresh from a successful season in his native New Zealand.

Glenn went on to fire up the innings with a sharp 75 but the top order were struggling with the first two wickets falling for only ten runs between them.

Former skipper and wicketkeeper, Jimmy Ainscough made a strong cameo of 28 but the rest of the middle-order were dismissed relatively cheaply.

Maldon looked to be in trouble when Mark Foster (30) took guard but a solid knock from him helped Maldon towards a respectable total of 186 but against such a prolific club it could have been hard to defend.

When Maldon took the field, Jack Riley (2-42) struck early to dismiss Trevor Moulton for one before Glenn (5-30) joined the action with the first of his five wickets in what was proving to be a very successful match for the New Zealander.

The Frinton top-order made a series of cameos that seemed to be edging them towards victory but Glenn and Riley pegged them back.

However, Maldon looked to be in trouble when ex-Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield (43) got his eye in but Glenn struck at the right time and regained the momentum for Maldon.

Not even wicketkeeper John Hambrook (30) could save Frinton as Gary Bannister (2-36) ended his knock. The final nail in the coffin came in the form of a run-out from Chris Harris, this secured the match for Maldon who walked away with 15 points.