ENFIELD may have come off second best in Monday's Inter League Trophy final but captain David Bracewell is still upbeat about the season.
The Dill Hall Lane side, despite the addition of Kent batsman Martin van Jaarsveld as their sub-pro, were stunned by East Lancs at Alexandra Meadows.
The target of 313 was always a formidable one and the wickets tumbled to make it a disappointing day in what is set to be the last ever final in the competitition.
However the Enfield skipper was only looking forward.
"We can't say a lot and there are no excuses as they were the better team on the day," said the 26-year-old. "They batted really well - Paul Turner and Phil Bolton must have put on 200 between them.
"They went into the last 10 overs with eight wickets to spare so they just tried their luck and everything came off for them.
"But we made the final and if we can finish runners-up in a trophy and finish in the top six in the league, then I think it will have been a successful season.
"We will have done better than the last couple of seasons and we keep progressing."
East Lancs, who were put into bat, were slogging the ball all over the place and got around 100 runs in the last nine overs with skipper Paul Turner deservedly named Man of the Match for his stunning innings of 125. Phil Bolton's 89 did give his team-mate a run for his money especially as he hit David Bracewell's last over for 31 - with five successive sixes.
And, even with South African star van Jaarsveld in the side, 313 was a frightening target.
"We dropped a few catches and it was always going to be too much," admitted Bracewell. "But we had to go out there and try and keep up with the run rate but we lost too many early wickets and once Martin went, we were struggling."
East Lancs were celebrating early as opener Craig Fergusson went for four with the score 15-1.
Then young seam bowler Sid Patel - who went on to claim 5-41 - was overjoyed as he took the prize wicket of dangerman van Jaarsveld who got a nick on the ball and wicket keeper David Pearson took a good catch for just eight runs.
The South African had dashed from Kent on Sunday to play for his former club and all he got for his pains was a bruised hand after trying to stop a ball.
That made it 24-2 and opener Sam Reidy quickly followed to make it 27-3 and it became a case of making the score respectable.
Skipper Bracewell was furious with his lbw decision as the umpire did take a long time to look at it before sending him back to the pavilion for 18.
The wickets kept tumbling and Enfield were 109-8 when Neil Holmes (57) and veteran Bernard Reidy (39) took the score on to keep Enfield's pride in tact but they still fell 112 runs short.
"We can't have any complaints. Martin was so disappointed as he really wanted to win for us but 312 from 45 overs was too much," accepted the captain. "At least Bernard and Holmsey put on 100.
"And the supporters enjoyed their day no matter what. We took quite a few to Blackburn and we could hear them singing - we were just disappointed we couldn't put on a show from them."
Enfield chairman Geoff Dixon said: "Nobody likes losing in a final but the players shouldfeel proud to get there. And the Enfield supporters were magnifcent."
