On one of the hottest days of the year Braintree’s First Eleven took the short trip up the A131 to face league leaders Halstead. Captain Hinks lost the toss and somewhat surprisingly Ryan Vickery invited the Dolphins to bat first.
Opening the batting Chris Hinks and Matt Renvoize got their team off to a good start scoring 46 runs off the opening 10 overs. Unfortunately, after scoring 21 Hinks chipped Ed Clark to mid on, where Callum O’Connell took a comfortable catch. Matt Childs struck a boundary from his first delivery received, unfortunately from his second he was adjudged LBW, if the decision could have been reviewed it would have confirmed that the ball struct the top of the pad and would surely have missed the stumps.
Braintree’s middle order once again gave their wickets away as Chris Walker (0), Will Jackson (4), Mitch Atkins (1) and Louis Cant (5) all tamely providing Halstead with catching practice. At this stage only Matt Renvoize was showing any resistance, ensuring that any loose deliveries were despatched to the boundary ropes. However, when on 48 he too was given out LBW when it looked to be a little high.
Bryn Powell had struggled for runs this season, averaging less than 10 in the League. However, once he had struck a delivery from Millions almost into the pond, there was no stopping him alternating boundaries with singles to keep the strike. At the other end Major Singh quickly moved into double figures, but he too lost his wicket to a catch.
Theo Sherry then faced 9 deliveries, from which he should have been given out on 3 occasions, twice he was struck on the pads plumb in front and then was stranded out of his crease when the bails were removed. Each time the Umpires ruled in his favour but eventually, Sherry was out stumped.
Glen Newham, after finally remembering to fit his protective device, joined Powell at the crease and although not scoring a run was involved in an 18 run last wicket partnership before he became Fernando’s 36th victim of the season. Braintree were all out inside only 33 overs having accumulated just 149 runs. Bryn Powell was left with his wicket remaining intact, with 42 against his name.
In reply Halstead got off to a flying start putting on 70 runs for the first wicket, aided somewhat by some extremely poor Dolphin’s fielding as no fewer than 8 catches during the course of the innings went begging. It took Theo Sherry to show his elders how it’s done as he took an excellent low catch off the bowling of Louis Cant to dismiss Walter Forsey for 44.
Halstead quickly lost their second wicket as Craig Spooner edged a Cant delivery into Matt Renvoize’s gloves. Callum O’Connell survived a number of those dropped catches and reached his half century with a boundary. Harry Pritchard (34) also got among the runs until Cant easily caught a skier off the bowling of Matt Childs. O’Connell struck the winning boundary as he moved on to 55 not out.
Although Louis Cant took 2 wickets it was young Theo Sherry who was the pick of the bowlers conceding only 13 runs off his 5 overs.