Haverhill captain Ben Wilkins admitted Saturday's defeat to Ipswich was a ‘killer’ as the club bids to avoid relegation from Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship Division Two.

Only a win tomorrow against Felixstowe and Corinthians would guarantee Haverhill's survival, with anything else requiring favours from elsewhere.

Against Ipswich, Haverhill lost by 16 runs after being bowled out for 125 in reply to 141.

Haverhill would have been confident of chasing a modest target, as Muhammad Aslam claimed 2-13, well supported by Russell Davis (3-30) and Sreesujan Dandamudi (1-32), as Ipswich were dismissed for 141.

However, the reply never got going. Haverhill lost Alfie Ford early at 3-1 and struggled to build any momentum against a tight Ipswich attack, with wickets falling at regular intervals after slipping to 13-3 early in the chase.

There were no major contributions with the bat as the innings slipped away, and despite battling through to 41.1 overs, Haverhill were dismissed for 125.

“Losing on Saturday was a killer, really,” said skipper Wilkins.

“It now leaves us needing eight points to guarantee not finishing third from bottom.

“We can only do our best. They have to win, and we just have to make sure we get enough bonus points.

“It’s going to be a tough one, but hopefully if we perform to the best of our ability, then we’ll be okay.

“We just have to hope Elmstead don’t get 20 points.”

On Saturday’s narrow defeat, Wilkins said: “We just gave too many runs away and too many extras.

“Then when you’re something like 13-3 chasing, it’s never ideal.

“We should have beaten them, and they were there to be beaten. They just bowled straighter than we did.”

Wilkins is hopeful of a full-strength team for this weekend’s crucial game.

The match is part of a huge weekend for the club, with the second team going into their game against Brightlingsea knowing only a win will do if they are to avoid the drop.

Haverhill II lost by 49 runs at Braintree II on Saturday, leaving them in 10th place in Division Five, eight points ahead of 11th-placed Worlington II.