Braintree U12’s continued their search for an elusive win as they took on Copford at St. Peter’s Road.
The evening started well as captain Corbyn MacLeod won the toss and decided to bat first. With a re-jigged batting line-up the captain and newly-promoted Logan Dyer got the innings off to a steady start putting on 19 in the first 4 overs.
Once Dyer was dismissed, MacLeod got going with a couple of delightful leg side boundaries, as he tried to push the scoring along. However, wickets began to fall at regular intervals with some questionable running, and three run outs including the skipper, meant that at 53-5, the Braintree innings could have fallen apart.
Enter Bertie Burnside, batting at the unfamiliar position of number 6. With some brutal off drives, the score began to accelerate. As wickets continued to fall with George Wedge run out and Callum Parker caught, Burnside continued to back himself. At 72-7 he was joined at the crease by Adam Wedge and some big shots and sensible running between the wickets allowed the team to go beyond the hundred, with Wedge eventually bowled after a 43-run partnership. Burnside ended unbeaten on 29 and Braintree on a competitive 116-8 from their 20 overs.
When Copford came to bat Drake got them off to a lightning quick start smashing 21 off just 17 balls before Will Yeomans got the vital breakthrough with the score on 25. This lifted the fielding team and it felt like another couple of wickets would give them a real chance.
MacLeod brought himself on first change and despite going for a couple of fours early on, he got Vinter, with a smart catch from Harrison McBride to leave the game in the balance at 31-2.
It was from here that the carnage began.
With runs still regularly being scored, Copford were keeping up with the required rate and wickets were always going to be needed to try and keep them in check. MacLeod, in his second over, had Kumar caught behind, with a good take from Burnside before bowling Wilkins next ball. It almost became a hat-trick but Yeomans was unfortunate to drop a tricky chance at extra cover.
As the pressure started to build from both ends, Matthews became George Wedge’s victim, playing on to his stumps before MacLeod was back and, undeterred from the previous over, was not to be denied his hat-trick. First McSweeney was caught, again by McBride at cover, before Gordon and Faulkner were both bowled first ball, with the latter wicket producing unbelievable scenes with Copford’s players in a state of shock as Braintree’s players and fans rejoiced.
At 59-8, the game was almost done, but there was still time for MacLeod, in his final over, to first bowl Devereux before sending Robinson back first ball.
A monumental performance with MacLeod ending on match figures of 3.2 overs and 8 wickets for 17 runs. More importantly, the team worked extremely hard as a unit and were able to celebrate their first league win of the season. Onwards and upwards!