Maldon achieve target but lose final match (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Maldon achieve target but lose final match

2:52pm Thursday 20th September 2012 in Local Sport

MALDON lost their final Marshal Hatchick Two Counties Championship divison one match but achieved the target they set themselves at the start of the season.

Skipper Jimmy Ainscough said: “The match just about summed up our season.

“We have struggled to make enough runs at this level but our bowlers have been competitive.

“There have been pluses.

“Ian Elliott has come back and scored well for us, 352 from a shortened season, Jamie Glenn has done a good job with bat and ball and Chris Harris has made the step up from Colt of the Year to first XI opener.”

Ainscough top-scored with 49.

He could find no partner and, but for a late flourish by Gary Bannister (13) and Toby Pugh (18), Maldon would have been out for a poor total.

As it was, 143 would take a lot of defending.

“Our bowling has been our great strength,” said Ainscough. “And Jack Riley, with 24 wickets at an average of 20 runs, has really established himself as a good opening bowler at this level.”

However, although Riley got an early wicket and Gary Bannister took another, a third wicket stand left Ipswich comfortable at 112 for two.

Martyn Coker got two quick wickets but 143 was too close and Ipswich won by six wickets.

Ainscough said: “We should look at the positives.

“We set a target of survival and we have achieved that comfortably.

“We can compete with all but the top four in this league, each of whom had two or three top players who could win a match.

“However, we can compete with the rest and have proved that we were a batsman light and if Luke Fleming, last year’s Australian player, could have played more than three matches we would have been way up the table.

“It would have taken the pressure off Jamie Glenn who did well, 422 runs and 15 wickets, and I thank him for his whole-hearted efforts.

“Jamie goes back to New Zealand now and can think well of his achievements this summer.

“However, we met our target.

“The team spirit was terrific, the bowling tremendous.

“Toby Pugh, with 19 wickets at an average of 24 runs, Gary Bannister and Martyn Coker gave us a good attack.

“So now we look forward to next season – and some sun.”