CAPTAIN Jake Wakelin described Witham Cricket Club's Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division one win against Coggeshall as "ruthless" after his team recorded an 11th straight top-flight victory.

A quick look at the scorecard would confirm that as an accurate description as Witham showed no mercy in romping to a nine-wicket success.

It was set up by an impressive bowling performance, before New Zealander Ken McClure was rampant with the bat in the pursuit of Coggeshall's modest total.

Having won the toss and elected to field first, Witham underlined their superiority from the start as the visitors were skittled out for just 91.

Shaun Bragg and Billy Moulton-Day made early inroads as they claimed figures of two for 16 and three for 25 respectively, before Witham's spinners got stuck into Coggeshall's middle order, with Carl Bragg claiming three for 16 and Greg Stephens two for 18. Wakelin said: "Our bowling was tremendous again and that's four times this year that we've bowled different sides out for 100 or below.

"There have been others where we've got teams out cheaply as well and unless it is a bad wicket, then the opposition really can't win from there.

"Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a wicket when 250 or 260 would have been a par score, but it was definitely one where you'd have been looking for 200.

"But we had Shaun (Bragg) and Bill (Moulton-Day) taking four early wickets so they were 32 for four and there was no looking back from there.

"The great thing about our bowling attack is that with Shaun and Bill taking wickets and keeping it tight at the same time, we then have what I think is the best spin attack in the league coming in.

"If we have early wickets, then teams find it very hard to bat against us, but some very good bowling was backed up by some great fielding again and it just feels like we are going from strength to strength."

With a modest total to chase, Witham set about making sure there was an early finish to the game and none more so than McClure, who bludgeoned the Coggeshall bowlers in an incredible innings.

He struck seven sixes and four fours in an unbeaten 75 as Witham reached their target in just 70 balls.

Wakelin added: "If Ken was impressive in getting his first century for the club the week before, then this was every bit as good.

"That 100 had been chanceless, but this innings was something special.

"He hit four sixes in one over off Coggeshall's overseas player and looked every bit the player that we knew he was when he came to us.

"He has moved up the order to open for us now and seems like he will score runs every time he goes out there."

"We have had some early finishes this year, but this one was over by ten past three and I think that has to be the quickest so far

"Coggeshall were right up there in the title race not too long ago, but we were ruthless.

"We were together after the game having a beer and we said that apart from the Woolpit game that we won in the last over, we haven't had a close game in months.

"The boys are really enjoying it, everyone is on a high at the moment and we can't want for the next game."