Braintree's 3rd XI travelled to Castle Park to meet their Colchester and East Essex counterparts on another glorious summer's day and were made to toil in the field as the short square boundaries were perfect for the oppositions 'rusty gate' merchants at the top of the order.
With young opening bowler Lucas Hale not in the side Lewis Walker-Everton and Leigh Garner spearheaded The Dolphin's attack but were unable to break the opening pair, or maintain control on the score and Brook and Patil looked to be positive. After a stand of 116 it was George Wedge who made the breakthrough as he bowled Austin Brook for 67 and shortly afterwards Thomas Mellon sent Sachin Patil on his way for a comparably pedestrian 44 from 56 balls.
It would be Srimal Rathnayaka Mudiyanseage that would really hurt the Braintree attack as he paid homage to harvest season and agriculturally plundered 76 from 28 balls as the occupiers of the park just over the short boundary began drawing up the paperwork for the inevitable PL claims. He hit 7 sixes and 7 fours, some with his eyes actually open and with a clear tilt on the wagon wheel to leg. To make things more frustrating for the Braintree players, the home side failed to realise that 50-yard boundaries bordered by a river and a public park may raise a requirement for spare balls but alas, it was down to the away side to keep the game flowing to a point where, in the 26th over, the bowlers were handed a brand new ball. Invoice to Colchester and East Essex CC for 5 balls incoming!!
Mudiyanseage was eventually castled by LEigh Garner and when Calum MacLeod found himself on a hattrick having bowled Binns (21) and Pearce (0) Braintree had pulled themselves back into the game. Joe Chaplin once again bowled with control as he took 3 late wickets for 22 and a touching moment saw Calum MacLeod complete a catch off of daughter Lyra to give her some reward. The home side were eventually bowled out for 303 with 14 balls to spare and some valuable lessons to be learned for the young Braintree side. 7 of the wickets to fall were bowled which showed that when they got the length right the rewards were on offer however, the heavy percentage of legside boundaries struck would indicate too much short stuff and something to work on in the coming weeks.
Veterans Nick Lockhart and Calum MacLeod opened the reply and with form behind them this season there was hope to at least get the maximum batting points to go with the full bag from the bowling department.
Having made a steady start they lost MacLeod, much to the disappointment of many Fantasy League managers, as he was bowled by Sarvesh Ilangkumaran for 10 and shortly after Lockhart was bowled off of his glove by a rising delivery from Wilkinson. Shub Alhat was caught behind by Brook off of the bowling of Jacob Pearce for 8 before Joe Chaplin's long vigil ended when he was bowled by Amelia Beckwith-Cole for 7 and 2 balls later Charley Marriott was trapped in front by the same bowler for 0. 72-4 became 72-6 as Leigh Garner was caught and bowled by Beckwith-Cole for 1 and Lyra MacLeod run out without scoring.
Enter George Wedge, having his first bat in the senior side, and promoted up the order thanks to a Thomas Melon brain fart that saw him standing without his gear on when the wicket fell, to join Rowen Lazarus in the middle. Having efffortlessly stroked his first delivery to the point fence Lazrus was looking in good touch and Wedge got himself going with a fine drive back over the bowlers head. The 2 of them put on 51 for the 8th wicket, and bagged some valuable point in the process, as Lazarus reached his maiden Braintree half century from just 56 balls to rapturous applause from the huge Braintree following.
He would fall for 54 eventually and Wedge for 15 but Braintree saw out their 40 overs, picked up 3 batting points and denied Colchester a maximum haul in a real show of character from the fledgling Div 9 side.