Following Kesgrave’s forfeit last time out, Braintree Seconds returned to action with a trip across the county border to face fellow promoted side IPSCOL. On a day with no teas provided, captain Himesh Patel won the toss and chose to bat.
Nick Lockhart returned to the second team and made his way out to the middle with Dave Hale, however Hale was soon heading back to the changing rooms for 0, getting one that kept low and went onto the stumps from Nandan. Guy Walton was the next man in, and the pair began to settle themselves on a pitch which was providing variable bounce for the bowlers. Unfortunately, with the partnership at 31, Lockhart was controversially caught and bowled despite his belief it was a bump ball. Braintree 32-2 which soon became 38-3 as Rory Ainsley came and went for 1, caught well at slip by Prabhu, bringing skipper for the day Patel in to join Walton. The pair got to work quickly, Walton looking to pull hard and Patel to shovel the ball round the corner. After a battling 19, Walton was bowled by Sankhayan’s leg spin to bring keeper Hollingsworth to the middle. Patel pushed the singles, even despite Hollingsworth’s injured leg and looked to continue his attack. However, another promising partnership ended at 32 as Hollingsworth chipped to Kumar, the dolphins in a precarious position at 93-5 with 15 overs to go. Toby Adcock helped Braintree cross the hundred with a cut shot to the fence and he and Patel continued to look for every run possible, even surviving 3 certain run outs in 3 balls, but fell driving uppishly into point for 9, Braintree 113-6. This became 114-7 when Patel was bowled by Sadhak for a well constructed 41, the only man to find any timing for the dolphins. A touching moment ensued as father and son pair Callum and Rowen Lazarus were in the middle together but Callum was bowled by Kumar for 4 and Rowen for 3, Braintree 122-9. Up from the third team, Joe Chaplin was left to salvage something with Joel Ainsley but Chaplin was caught for 1, Braintree all out for 124.
Braintree knew it would be difficult to defend, but having bowled IPSCOL out for 123 at home anything could be possible, especially on the troublesome wicket. The dangerous Sachin Devaiah started well for the home side, latching onto some loose bowling from Braintree and carving through cover for a six and a four. Captain Patel quickly turned to spin after Devaiah’s aggressive first 7 overs, with Adcock and Hale wiling away. Hale managed to find the edge of Devaiah’s bat but a tough chance was put down behind the stumps by Hollingsworth with the score on 70. In the next over, Adcock had the other opener Sridhar caught at point by Hale, but by now IPSCOL were more than halfway there. Devaiah continued his assault, targeting the leg side boundary, with the tight bowling of Hale deserving of a wicket but unable to get one, and Adcock having him chip just in front of the fielder. Patel took one last throw of the dice trying Joel Ainsley and Joe Chaplin butIPSCOL got to the target with ease off 19 overs with 9 wickets in hand.
Overall, a tough day for a much-changed dolphins second team who slip from second to third in division six. Next week second placed Abberton visit, a game Braintree know will be very important for the season