Braintree travelled to 3rd placed Yoxford in a game that would have a major bearing in the promotion race with the home team having an opportunity to make up ground on the top 2.
With a side missing key bowlers, Skipper Andrew Gowers still had confidence to bowl first and won a vital toss to give him the right to do so.
On a stodgy wicket that would prove difficult to score on, the opening pair of Callum Lazarus and Gowers looked to get through the top order but had to wait until the 10th over until Denny (8) hit a Gowers full toss to mid-wicket where Toby Adcock took a solid catch. They say that 1 brings 2 and this was the case as, just 2 balls later, Jake Smith (13) smashed a long hop from Lazarus straight to Karl Parker at mid-wicket where he took an excellent catch.
Tom Driver and Chris Mears then took the score to 63 from 20 overs before Mears (12), fresh from an unbeaten hundred in his previous outing, flat batted Gowers to mid-off where Parker was again able to hold onto a good grab. Tom Driver continued to score relatively freely but he was next to go, for 36, as Dave Hale found his outside edge and Jamie Foyster done the catching at first slip. Charlie Garner quickly accounted for Aust (15) when he replaced Hale and Toby Adcock got in the wickets when he had William Driver caught by Fullgrabe at long on for 17. Garner picked up his 2nd when took a simple return catch to remove Edward Borrett for 4 and the Yoxford innings fizzled out at 128-7. Suprising that they lacked any intent to up the rate given the opportunity they had to get amongst the promotion favorites.
Maybe Yoxford though 128 was enough and early on it looked like it may be competitive as firstly Nick Lockhart was LBW to Will Driver for 0 and the Matt Kent, looking imperious once again on the drive, run himself our going for an impossible single.
Lee Fullgrabe joined Dave Hale in the middle and between them they began to chip away at the total. With Fullgrabe in particular playing with freedom and dispatching anything full while Hale played more of a watchful innings, happily dispatching full tosses to the fence while making sure he was there to the end. Fullgrabbe brought up and excellent 50 which came off 64 balls and included 8 fours and a six as they put the hammer down after drinks. Hale's 50 came up shortly after as he sent smith back over his head for 6. His 4th half century of the season came from 86 balls with 6 fours to accompany the one maximum.
The win was confirmed a ball later as the keeper let the ball through his legs and it crashed into the grill of his helmet gifting Braintree 5 runs and victory thanks to an excellent, unbroken stand of 114 between Fullgrabe and Hale