Braintree’s First Eleven are still searching for their first win of the season following a defeat at home to Copdock and Old Ipswicians by the slimmest of margins possible. Braintree were able to call on the services of Louis Cant, unfortunately Rory Ainsley and Robbie Spalding weren’t available for selection.
Copdock’s Skipper won the toss and elected to bat first, however opener Ollie Burle was soon making his way back to the pavilion as Milo Edwards drew a faint edge and Matt Renvoize took a simple catch behind the stumps. The visitors rallied though as Karl Storey and Reuben Sharpe put 54 runs for the second wicket, the partnership was eventually broken when Grace Poole had the latter trapped LBW for 18.
Storey was joined at the crease by Rory Hollis and the pair steadily pushed the score along. Eventually, Hollis having scored 37 was well caught by Louis Cant off Geoff Eveling’s first delivery of the day. Ishaan Rakesh (5) didn’t last very long as he drove Cant straight to Karl Parker at long-off and then Chris Hinks clean bowled Ben Bowles for 19.
Karl Parker took his second catch of the day as Adam Giesen was dismissed for 2 off the bowling of Eveling whilst Freddie Foyster (13) fell to the same Parker/Eveling combination. Storey had spent well over 2 hours at the crease grinding out 55 runs before he had his stumps demolished by Hinks and then Elliott Tyler (7) suffered a similar fate as Copdock’s innings closed on 198. Hinks finished with figures of 3 for 41, whilst Eveling finished on 3 for 35.
As is often the case Chris Leech and Matt Renvoize got the Dolphin’s innings off to a good start putting on 67 runs for the first wicket. However, neither were able to push on as Tyler had both caught for 29 and 34 runs respectively.
Tyler claimed the wicket of Geoff Eveling (1), having him stumped by Hollis and Chris Hinks (7) was caught by Sharpe off the bowling of Howard. When Luke Gouldstone (16) was caught and bowled by Burle, Braintree had been reduced to 124 for the loss of 5 wickets. Bryn Powell had doggedly moved on to 27 when he gloved a delivery from Howard down to fine leg, mysteriously though he was given out LBW.
Louis Cant looked comfortable at the crease, however Grace Poole (3), Karl Parker (0) and Andy Gowers (2) were unable to stay with him for any length of time. Cant struck two sixes and was denied a third when he cleared the ropes again but a four was signalled. Milo Edwards ably supported Cant in putting on 28 runs for the tenth wicket as Braintree required four runs for victory off the final two overs. Another strange decision was made as Howard was allowed to bowl more than his allotted number of overs. Admittedly he had conceded 14 runs from his first extra over but only went for a single off the second one.
This left Braintree still requiring three runs from the final over bowled by Burle. A single was scampered off the second ball, unfortunately Edwards was adjudged LBW and the game was lost by just one run as Cant remained unbeaten on 49.