FRINTON Cricket Club hero Mervyn Westfield believes his side can still challenge for title honours this season.

The Ashlyns Road side are fourth in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League and got back to winning ways after beating Burwell by 91 runs on Saturday.

It was their fifth win in ten games, having drawn one and lost four, and former Essex man Westfield believes his team can still reel in leaders Sudbury and fellow high-flyers Swardeston and Great Witchingham.

“We set the bar high at the start of the season by saying we wanted to win the title,” said the 29-year-old, now in his fourth season at Frinton.

“Nothing has changed and while we know it’s going to be difficult, I still believe it’s possible.

“We’d need to win the majority of our matches but we’ve got the players to do that.

“If we stick together and give it all we’ve got, then who knows?

“Sudbury are top at the moment but I don’t think many people expected that.

“They started as underdogs but they’ve shown a lot of teams how to play and how to win.

“Their success shows that anything can happen and we have to remain ambitious.

“There wouldn’t be any point settling for second-best or being resigned to a mid-table finish.

“We wouldn’t have any incentive to win then.”

Frinton batted first in Saturday’s victory and were all out for 218, with Michael Comber top-scoring with 66.

Opener Michael Griggs managed 46 and Tom Benn 43, with a vital 30 runs coming from tail-ender Lewis Catlow.

Burwell were then all out for 127, with Westfield taking four wickets for 62 in his 12.4 overs.

They were his best figures of the season and he said: “It was a great result and nice to get back to winning ways, after the disappointment of the Swardeston defeat.

“We felt we should have won that game, too.

“Swardeston batted well but we know we should have bowled better.

“Even so, it was nice to get back on track at the weekend and I was pleased to take some wickets.

“I felt I played alright, but we all contributed as a team.

“One of the main contributors, n Continued on page 55.

for me, was Lewis Catlow, who came in at the end and scored 30.

“That gave us a bit of momentum at the end of our innings and helped give us a half-decent total to defend.

“It also gave us extra energy going out into the field.

“Had we been all out for 170 or 180, we wouldn’t have felt so unbeaten but Lewis’ crucial runs took us over 200.”