Braintree 2’s returned home to St Peter’s Road after being disappointed by the Mersea rain the previous week. East Bergholt were the visitors, and after winning the toss put themselves into bat on a green but hard deck.
Once again Josh Paget and Andy Sherry took the new ball for Braintree, and it was Paget who caused immediate problems, finding the edge of Jones’ bat second ball only to see a tough chance put down by Sherry at slip. Both bowlers were finding assistance in the overcast conditions, and the lines were tight, with only 21 runs in 10 overs. Paget shelled a difficult chance of his own bowling, but the breakthrough for Braintree came from neither bowler as Jones retired hurt due to an injured calf. Sherry was often close to the edge of Harris’ bat, who was now attempting to hit the ball out of Braintree without seemingly touching one, but as the opening pair were replaced, both went wicketless, albeit at very respectable economies. Captain Gowers turned to seamer Rhys John down the hill and after a shaky start, he settled in with his inswing, castling Harris to leave Bergholt 56-1. Braintree were soon to find another wicket, as Roome pushed the leg spin bowling of Toby Adcock straight to Charlie Garner at cover and called a single. A clean pick up and throw and Garner had run out Llewellyn for 26. Adcock soon gave Braintree their third, a flighted delivery outside off stump which turned and beat Roome’s bat, Jerry Hollingsworth whipping off the bails to claim another victim. Eveling entered the attack, and the tight lines of the Braintree Bombshell frustrated the Bergholt batters, with Foster enticed to go after a flighted delivery from Adcock, only to find the safe hands of Lee Fullgrabbe at long on. It wouldn’t be long before the pair united again, Goodchild chipping Adcock to Fullgrabbe in the ring, Bergholt 110-5. Adcock soon claimed his fourth, after a couple of long hops a forward defensive from Smith, saw the ball bounce onto his pads and almost Sirajesque roll onto the stumps. At 128-6 Bergholt looked vulnerable but out came Jones with a runner. Yet Adcock struck again, getting Patel to chip the straight to Lee Fullgrabbe again with the slower ball, a maiden five fer for the young spin bowler and hopefully the first of many. Eveling was determined to get in on the act at the other end, and after a heated spat between Jones and the slip cordon due to a no ball, Lee Fullgrabbe grabbed a run out, Malindu gone and Bergholt 8 down. Sherry came up the hill to try to take the last after John injured his wrist, but Eveling took both in his next over, having Hunter plumb LBW before bowling the other Llewellyn to end the Bergholt innings on 152 all out.
An impressive tea spread including salted caramel brownies gave Braintree enough confidence to chase the total with ease but the rain began to fall and the covers came on. At last it subsided and the veterans of Hale and Eveling came to the middle for Braintree. The pair got Braintree off to a great start , Hale starting watchfully and playing out a maiden before finding his groove and clearing the ropes twice. Eveling looked to drive the ball, however the partnership was broken on 34 as Hale’s timber was disturbed by Goodchild for 19. The last minute addition Charlie Garner came in at 3 with his thigh pads in unorthodox places, but quickly set to work, sharing Eveling’s composed style as he looked to flick the ball of his pads in his trademark style. The partnership put Braintree into a strong position, but Garner fell to Malindu’s offspin for 22, Braintree 65-2. Captain Gowers came to join Eveling who was quietly going about his business in , with Braintree halfway there at 76-2 at drinks. Gowers looked to put away anything short and wide from the spin, while Eveling was quickly onto the pull shot as the pair brought Braintree above 100 before Gowers was caught at point off Llewellyn looking to accelerate the score. This brought the ultra aggressive style of Lee Fullgrabbe to the crease, who quickly, struck 3 clean boundaries to bring Braintree three runs from victory before trying to finish it and being lbw for 24 off Llewelyn. Eveling, who had now reached a great 50, scored the winning runs with a boundary off Foster to finish on an important 57 not out, Himesh Patel the other not out batsman.
Overall, a very impressive win for the second eleven to gain the full 20 points and stay firmly in the hunt for automatic promotion