2023 – Potential Records

Written by Stuart Coker.

As another season gets ever closer, it’s time to look at some of the landmarks that people will aiming to surpass this summer.

It’s our 40th year at Drapers so we’re due a big year to celebrate.

Batting

Elmo
With the bat, Elmo is just 475 runs away from an incredible 30,000 runs in Maldon colours. He has made atleast 475 runs in a season an amazing 25 times, including in every season between 1989 and 2003, except for 2000 when he missed most of the season after a knee operation.

10,000
Both DR and Stato could join the 10,000 run club this summer. DR needs just 187 runs to reach the landmark, while Stuart will be looking for 603 runs. They could become just the 10th and 11th players to reach 10,000 runs in a Maldon shirt.

Elsewhere, James Ellis, Jimmy Ainscough and Martyn Coker will be eyeing 9,000 career runs, while Steve Brown, Max Bryant and Ross Walpole will be aiming for 6,000 by the seasons end. New 2nd and 3rd XI captains, Ben Gibbons and Joe Figg will both targeting 3,000 runs.

Bowling

The rare mark of 1000 wickets in within Mikel’s sights. He needs a stellar season to get the 45 wickets he needs, a figure he hasn’t taken in one season since 1998 when he took 67 wickets. But you never know…

Further down the list, the top 10 looks set to be unchanged, unless Toby Pugh takes 63 wickets to leapfrog into the top 10 ahead of Jack Riley or Paul Bardo.

Martyn Coker needs 9 wickets to become only the 4th player in club history to reach 8,000 career runs and 500 wickets after Elmo, Bards and DR. The returning Chris Harris should pass 250 wickets for the club, while Jas Bains and Matt Wild are close to 150. Dave Blackboro could reach 100 wickets.

Appearance landmarks

Elsewhere there are plenty of appearance landmarks within reach; Stuart Coker (680 games) Matt Coppen (197), Jaz Bains (194), Bethan Bailey (148), Chloe Dack (146), Matt Wild (135), Andy Phipps (98), Cameron Blackboro (97), Joe Figg (96), Richard Buckby, Matt Shinn (both 94) and Callum Figg (91). Jimmy Ainscough is currently on 344 1st XI matches, 395 in all competitions.