On an overcast and breezy afternoon Braintree skipper Andrew Gowers won the toss and decided to have first use or a used track that looked like it may deteriorate as the game progressed.
With a tinge of green on the surface however, the Melton opening bowlers managed to get some seam and swing to trouble the top order early on and reduce the visitors to 18-4 within 9 overs.
Firstly Dave Hale, who has seen a dip in form since his hundred against Felixstowe, played on for a 3rd consecutive week for a 16 ball duck to give Henry Clark the first of 3 quick wickets. He then enticed both Joe Osborne (2) and Robbie Spalding (0) to drive loosely at his in duckers and both lost their bails as a result. Guy Walton (5) became the 4th to go when he snicked behind off of Josh Bowyer where Furmston took a simple catch.
All the while Geoff Eveling was watching the carnage from the other end but he an Sherry set about repairing the damage and did so in part with a 48 run partnership. Sherry, following from an excellent 4: the previous week look in aggressive mood while Eveling looked to rotate the strike until he was trapped in front by Gilmour for a watchful 16.
Sherry brought up his 50 at a run a ball which included 7 fours and 2 sixes but shortly afterwards he lost Jerry Hollingsworth as a partner when Tom Sidhu bowled him for 7 and after hitting 2 more imperious boundaries fell victim again to Sidhu as he tried to hit a full toss into next week, only to hear the death rattle as the ball slammed into the bottom of the stumps.
Himesh Patel fell soon after as he gave Sidhu his 3rd wicket when he was bowled for 4.
Major Singh then went on the offensive and began peppering the leg side boundary, sweeping and pulling the leg spin of Mathaniel Mawson with ease.
Just as Braintree approached the 150 mark a mix up between Gowers and Singh saw Gowers run out and 2 balls later Varghese was caught behind for 0 to see the innings ended on 143.
With a small target to defend Braintree needed to make early in roads into the Melton lineup but a first wicket partnership of 59 between Nathanael Mawson and Josh Bowyer settled any nerves for the home side. It was Andrew Sherry that broke that partnership when he trapped Bowyer in front for 20. A couple of quick wickets from Shibu Varghese gave Braintree a glimmer of hope as he had Mawson (49) caught at the second attempt by Andrew Gowers at mid-off as he looked to go to 50 and shortly later Adrian Smith was bowled around his for 0. It was to be Melotin Skipper, Tom Sidhu, who guided his side home with 48 not out to complete a 7 wkt win a give his side a 31-point lead at the top of the table. Braintree slip to third and host 4th place Mildenhall next week as they look to maintain their promotion position with 4 teams going up to Division 5 this season