HALSTEAD Cricket Club captain Josh Wells wants to see his team capitalise on their strong start to the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship season in the next few weeks.

The Star Stile club's first team have made an encouraging opening to their division one campaign, with last weekend's 66-run win at Hadleigh placing them fifth in the early standings.

Wells said he now wants his team to kick-on from their positive start, continuing against Haverhill at Star Stile tomorrow.

It starts a run of games against sides that the Halstead captain feels his team should be targeting wins in and he wants to see them pressing towards the upper end of the table rather than battling to avoid the drop as they were for much of last season.

"The next few games are ones that we've looked at and we feel they are winnable ones on paper," said Wells.

"Last year we won our opening game and then went on a run of six or seven defeats, so it would be great to get a run going now.

"I think what we're seeing from the team is that we can be pushing towards the other end of the table from what we were last year, but winning games like the ones we have coming up is important against sides who are around us in the table.

"It's the type of league where anybody can beat anybody so we have to make sure we win games when we have the chance.

"Thankfully we're looking a settled side at the moment and I'm expecting to pick the same side that beat Hadleigh for when we face Haverhill tomorrow.

"Availability is good at the moment and we still have some players to come back.

"It's a nice situation where we are sending people into the twos rather than searching around for people to come up.

"There is also a really nice social side to the club at the moment.

"The whole club feels like it is thriving."

The win against Hadleigh last Saturday saw an all-round team performance that was led by a few individual displays, including an impressive knock of 78 from Harry Veal and three-wicket hauls for Joe Morris and Chris Rayner.

Wells added: "It was a very good win and a good performance from the team so we're very happy.

"It was a bit of a slow wicket and our top order got in when we batted but then got out again.

"We were playing well, but it was a really important innings from Harry Veal as he was the one who really pushed on.

"He really stood up and showed the way to go.

"Chris Rayner also scored an important 30 with a vital contribution and without those two it might have been a different story.

"They also scored at a good pace, which was important as it allowed us to accelerate the innings and they showed a good example to the rest of the team.

"It gave us a total to defend and we then bowled well to get the win.

"I think our bowling has really come on since last year.

"We're more disciplined and we didn't really let them have any bad balls to hit.

"Joe Morris and Harry kept it tight at the start of the Hadleigh innings, then myself and Chris Roper came in and didn't give too much and Chris took three wickets at the end.

"It was just a good all-round performance."

Meanwhile, Halstead's second team lost by six wickets against Haverhill seconds in division three, but there was a 152-run victory for the thirds against Brantham in division seven and there was also a comprehensive win for the club's Sunday team in the North Essex Cricket League.

Halstead had Mark Johnson and Joe Morris hitting half-centuries in their 81-run win against West Bergholt in division three.

On Sunday, Halstead's North Essex League team head to Kelvedon and Feering, while tomorrow's Two Counties Championship action sees the seconds head to Brightlingsea in division three and the thirds at Tendring in division seven.