CAPTAIN Jake Wakelin is expecting a big response from his Witham Cricket Club team when they look to put a performance that the skipper branded as "disgraceful" firmly behind them on Saturday.

Witham fell to a dismal ten-wicket defeat at Halstead in Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division one last weekend and will want to see better when they host Maldon on Saturday.

It was not a display that many at Witham will wish to remember and Wakelin feels the best way to consign it to the past will be with a positive show at the Park this weekend.

"If I'm honest, it was the most disappointing performance we have put in for a few years," he said.

"Standards slipped and the attitude wasn't great - it was a bad day for the team and the club.

"It was a thoroughly disappointing result and performance and one we need to put behind us.

"The only way to forget about it is by winning when we face Maldon on Saturday.

"I'm expecting a big performance.

"We all lose games, but what was disappointing was how we lost.

"There is experience in our team, though, and I have no doubt that we will get our heads down and perform like the Witham team that we know this weekend."

Wakelin said Shaun Bragg, Matt McKendry and Greg Stephens are all back to face Maldon after missing the Halstead game, but Leroy Facey and Kaan Hawes are still unavailable.

With just one win from their last four games, Witham know they must respond positively and Wakelin is demanding improvements from all areas from his players.

He said: "In the last five games, we have not had a settled side but people do miss games as they have commitments outside cricket, but the teams that we have put out have not performed in the last few weeks.

"Last Saturday was one of the worst in my time as captain on the team.

"When we were batting we had people getting in but then getting out and no-one pushed on and then in the field it wasn't good enough.

"The scorecard doesn't tell the whole story as we did create chances in the first 25 overs and we could have had them 80 or 90 for two or three.

"Catches weren't taken and had they been then it may have been a different game, but then the final 15 overs was disgusting as we just slipped away.

"I didn't know what to say to the lads afterwards, but everyone knew it was a disgraceful performance.

"But that can happen.

"We know that all round it wasn't good enough and the only way to put it right is by going out and winning on Saturday."