MALDON Cricket Club's first-team maintained their charge for the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division two title with a comfortable 115-run win against Dunmow.

With the threat of rain, the first team fixture was reduced to 35 over.

Dunmow won the toss and elected to field, which was a choice that proved profitable as Chris Harris was dismissed cheaply.

After the early celebrations, though, Dunmow did not have much more to cheer about as Reece O'Connell (109) dismantled their attack with his third century of the season.

O'Connell has proven to be an essential asset to Maldon this year and his figures show this with an average of over 92.

In support of O'Connell was Ian Elliott (42), who made an important contribution to the score that was already running away from mid-table side Dunmow.

After the dismissal of Elliott, keeper-bastman Jimmy Ainscough chipped in with a further 12 runs before he too fell.

With Australians O'Connell and Matt Anderson (53 not out) at the crease, another 24 runs were added before O'Connell's ultimate demise.

Anderson was able to go on, though, in partnership with Matt Coppen (24 not out) and both of them were able to score important runs at the end of the reduced innings.

Maldon had an impressive total of 246 for four on the board and made a positive start in the field with Matt Anderson claiming a run-out off his own bowling after a Dunmow batsman took him on.

This success continued as Anderson (one for 18) picked up the second wicket with no addition to the score.

Dunmow were able to recover over the following overs as Ieuan Bush (37) and Olly Rooney (35) got together and pushed on until Matt Wild (one for 12) made the eventual breakthrough.

Wild's wicket was shortly followed by the first from Ian Elliott (two for 26) and this left Dunmow in serious trouble as they were not scoring quickly enough and they seemed to lack the required depth.

Mark Roadwell's 19 was the only other score to make its way to double figures as other batsmen fell around him, but he too was stumped.

Dunmow only made it to 131 for six in their allotted overs to give victory to the home side.

The 15 points taken further consolidated Maldon's domination of division two as they continued their unbeaten streak.

On Saturday, they visit fourth-placed Mildenhall.