It was a trip to the coast this week for Braintree in their quest for the first win of the season as they faced Clacton away.
It was the perfect weather for a seaside trip as Braintree won the toss and elected to bat first. This week it was Geoff Eveling and Matt Renvoize opening up and things didn’t start well as Renvoize was adjudged LBW in a dubious decision as he looked to flick the ball off his legs to the boundary. Louis Cant, at 3, fell just 4 overs later for 6 as he was caught. Captain Chris Hinks knew he had a vital role to play to get Braintree up to a respectable total and to bat the full 50 overs, something that Braintree hadn’t achieved. Hinks and Eveling steadied the ship patiently as the Clacton bowlers kept it tight. They advanced the score to 69 before Eveling was adjudged LBW by the same umpire, again another dubious decision. Next in was Chris Walker who was desperate to find some form. After only just surviving his first ball from the mystery spinner a couple of snippets of form were found until he missed a straight one and departed for 14 with the score 100-4 in the 33rd over. Despite the verbal's from Clacton targeting Braintree’s run rate, Hinks was defiant in his innings. Mitch Atkins joined him and looked to push on the rate with a hard hitting 26 from 23 balls when he too was bowled. After his heroics from the week before, Toby Adcock was the next man in with only 9 overs remaining and Braintree were hoping he could provide the same heroics again. With only 4 overs remaining Hinks was next to depart unfortunately after a patient, defiant and responsible innings reaching 55 off 125 balls. Adcock made 14 before being stumped trying to hit out in the last over. Bryn Powell (8, including a crunching cover drive) and Grace Poole (1) were the not out batters as Braintree reached 184-7 off their full 50 overs. A positive for Braintree to take away.

Braintree were hoping that they too would be able to keep the bowling tight as Clacton had in the first innings. Clacton were going to make this difficult however as their captain, Sinclair, came out playing his shots. Atkins got the first breakthrough as the ball was hit straight at Eveling at short cover for a catch above his head to dismiss Pitts with the score 15. Chances came for Braintree as Sinclair was dropped twice, however the score reached 71 in the 14th over before Braintree took the second wicket with Sheikh expertly caught at first slip by Louis Cant off the bowling of Captain Hinks for 18. Cant himself was the next to strike when 3 overs later Hinks returned the favour and caught Sinclair at slip after Cant had got the ball to pop on a length after looking dangerous throughout his spell. At this point the score 83-3 off 17. It was always going to be a tough ask with Clacton needing just 100 off the remaining 33 overs. It was made more difficult as Clacton’s overseas Robinson looked like a solid player and gave no chances. Robinson supported by Parmar knocked off the winning runs inside 34 overs in two chanceless knocks of 61 and 45 not out. Hinks the pick of the bowlers with 1-29 off his 7.1 overs to round off a man of the match performance of Braintree’s eleven. The hunt for the first win continues…