Having gained promotion last year, Braintree’s 2nd XI started their 2025 Two Counties Division 6 campaign against Melton St Audrey at St Peter’s Road. After winning the toss Melton invited their hosts to bat on a dry but slow looking early season track.
The experience opening pair of Nick Lockhart and Ian Johnston lead off for Braintree and gave a steady start to the innings putting on 45 for the first wicket with Lockhart showing his usual patience and Johnston playing the role of aggressor as he looked to get the runs flowing. It was Lockhart who was the first to fall as he was caught by Shallish, off the bowling of Bowyer, for 14. A second wicket was soon to fall with the score on 50 with Johnston (28) bowled by the newly introduced Epsom who, having struggled to find the right line in his first overs, got one on the money to disturb the openers timbers.
With Club Chairman Jamie Foyster and Matt Kent at the crease the ship was again steadied however excellent bowling from the visitors saw quick runs difficult to come by but the pair had moved the score along to 107 before Foyster was run out for 23, taking a second run following a misfield.
Guy Walton was soon to follow having been adjudged LBW to the leg spin of Mawson for 1 and with the overs seeping away quick runs were need to post a challenging total for the visitors to chase. Kent fell for 23 endeavouring to accelerate the scoring rate. As he was bowled by Simon Terron which bought the exciting pair of Himesh Patel and Joe Osbourne to together at 134-5 and 11 overs of the innings to go. The pair put on 46 for the sixth wicket in just 6 overs when Osbourne was trapped in front for a breezy 20. Geoff Eveling joined Patel for the closing overs with Eveling rotating the strike to allow Patel to continue to score at a run a ball ending the innings unbeaten on 45 which guided Braintree to a defendable 200-6.
Braintree took to the field feeling confident that they could make early inroads into the batting line up however this was to prove more difficult than had been anticipated.l as the Melton opening pair of Mawson and Bowyer came out playing shots from the off putting the Braintree bowlers under pressure. After 10 overs they had moved the score onto 85 prompting skipper Andy Gowers to turn to the experienced duo of Geoff Eveling and Joel Ainsley who, as requested, turned the screw and curtailed the scoring rate.
This gave opportunities and the two openers were dismissed in quick succession with Ainsley and Eveling taking a wicket apiece. Firstly Josh Bowyer edged to Joe Osborne off of Ainsley for 57 before Eveling had Mawson caught by Himesh Patel for 37 in the next overs leaving the visitors on 104-2.
The fast start provided by the Melton openers allowed the new batsmen to play themselves in and they batted steadily adding 37 in 11 overs before Ainsley took his second wicket of the day to dismiss Melton captain Tom Sidhu for 27 as he was caught by Foyster. Theo Sherry returned to the attack and he bowled excellently having switched ends to come up the hill and continually test the batters. He was joined in the attack by Matt Kent who took the teams fourth wicket of the day bowling Terron for just 1.
Unfortunately Braintree could not manage to take any further wickets and Melton continued on to chase down the Braintree total in the 36th over with Adrian Smith unbeaten on 40 and Chris Furmston on 22.