The fact that his team are winning tight games while still not at their peak is giving Halstead Cricket Club captain Charlie Douglas-Hughes cause to be optimistic about their chances this year.

Halstead won their third Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division two game in a row as they beat Frinton seconds by 51 runs as Josh Wells hit 98 before Joe Morris’s match-winning six-wicket haul wrapped up an important win.

Following several tough years at Star Stile that have seen back-to-back relegations, it has been an encouraging start to the year for Halstead and Douglas-Hughes is confident that even more is to come from his team.

He said: “When you are playing at your peak and winning it is all well and good, but when you are not quite there – as we’re not at the moment – knowing there are improvements you can make, and are still winning, then I think that spurs everyone on.

“It gives the whole team belief and we’re really seeing that now."

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