Two counties cricket championshipHALSTEAD collected their sixth win at the weekend to cement their position as favourites to win the First Division of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship.

Two counties cricket championship

HALSTEAD collected their sixth win at the weekend to cement their position as favourites to win the First Division of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship.

Simon Steel's side beat promoted Brightlingsea by 105 runs to maintain their 100% record start to the season.

Previous winners of the title in 2003 following their return from a brief period in the East Anglian Premier League, Halstead now face a tough round of games as the season goes into its second half.

“At the moment we have to be pretty chuffed with how things are going and we have a strong squad particularly in the batting department.” said Steel

“In a recent match 10 of the team had scored hundreds in the Two Counties Championship. I don't think other teams can match that, and it shows that we should always be capable of notching a good score.”

At Brightlingsea it was Neale Dakin who top-scored with 82 after Matt Spatcher had got the innings off to a good start with 41.

Further runs from Richard Moxon (51) and Phil Toogood (45 not out) saw Halstead reach 265 for seven.

Suffolk squad all-rounder Ian Morton, who played in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy against Glamorgan last season, took four wickets having joined Halstead from Clacton during the winter.

Steel, another ex-Suffolk player, took three wickets. He added: “We are pleased to have Ian as he is a consistent performer.”

Halstead's Sunday side went to town with Australians Michael Cosentino and Spatcher featuring in an opening stand of 389 in the PDQ League Division One at Castle Park against Colchester & East Essex II.

Spatcher went for 183 with his partner going on to score 210 not out in a total of 417 for one. Colchester made 241 in reply.

Maldon beat Ipswich & East Suffolk by four wickets as the top two pulled away somewhat, while Bury St Edmunds II picked up their first win since promotion when they beat Sudbury by six wickets.

Overseas player Adrian McLaren scored a mighty 137 in a Sudbury total of 206. Only one other player reached double figures.

Skipper Simon Aldous steered Bury home with an unbeaten 68 with Simon Rees scoring 70 and Suffolk batsman Tobias Hembry 40.