Braintree Cricket Club’s First Eleven completed the double over Two Counties Division 2 leaders Kelvedon and Feering on Saturday by courtesy of comprehensive 210 run win.

The St Peters Road wicket looked full of runs and unsurprisingly when Chris Leech won the toss he chose to bat first. Braintree were able to name one of their strongest line-ups so far this season, with Warren Celiz and Dan Chalk being available and Louis Cant playing his first game since badly breaking a thumb in May 2021. On the other hand, the opposition were forced to make a few changes and were further hindered when one player was involved in an accident on the way to the ground.

Warren Celiz opened the batting with Matt Renvoize and immediately set off in the belligerent style for which he is renowned, scoring runs off almost every ball faced. In an opening partnership of 57 inside eight overs Warren scored the vast majority of the runs. Unfortunately, having scored 42 he deflected a delivery from Richard Wilson off his pads and onto his stumps.

Renvoize was joined at the crease by his usual opening partner Chris Leech and the pair put on 114 runs for the second wicket. It was Renvoize who took centre stage in this partnership though with a vast array of shots, pulling short deliveries, exquisite cover drives and deft late cuts. He reached his half century off 45 deliveries and only needed another 27 to reach three figures! When Leach had scored 21, he was adjudged to be trapped LBW off the bowling of Harry Ratcliffe. Chris Hinks added a run a ball 14 before Tristan Peperell tempted him and he was caught by James Reid.

Having scored 136, Renvoize lost his wicket as he was stumped by Alfie Long off Lee Scott’s bowling. Matt’s innings contained 4 sixes and 19 fours off 97 balls faced, he was at the crease for just over 2 hours. The dismissal brought Dan Chalk to the crease who after scoring a string of singles started to hit out, his slog-sweep brought up a number of scoring shots with the spectators in front of the pavilion in immediate danger as sixes rained amongst them. Indeed, he reached his half century with a huge maximum.

Whilst Dan was peppering the boundary Luke Gouldstone (16) and Louis Cant (10) could only stand and watch from the non-striker’s end, unfortunately both lost their wickets attempting to push their own scores along.

Geoff Eveling and Dan Chalk put on 73 runs in the final six overs as the Dolphins closed their innings on a massive 369 for the loss of six wickets. Geoff was unbeaten on 24 whilst Dan having scored 7 fours and 7 sixes, was agonisingly only 4 runs short of his century off only 58 balls faced.

Alfie Long and Tom Potter got Kelvedon’s innings off to a flyer with a partnership of 79 off the opening 10 overs. However, with the introduction of spin the away team’s innings ground to a halt and Geoff Eveling quickly had Potter caught by Dan Chalk for 36 and three balls later he had Ed Pope trapped LBW without troubling the scorers.

Chris Hinks was brought on to bowl in tandem with Eveling and with only his second delivery he clean bowled Jack Hyslop and next ball after some deliberation from the umpire had Matt Hart LBW. When Eveling had Long (37) brilliantly caught by Luke Gouldstone on the long off boundary, Kelvedon had been reduced from 79 without loss to 93 for 5 within five overs.

Lee Scott attempted to give his sides score some credibility however wickets continued to fall at the other end. Hinks had James Reid (7) caught by Gouldstone and Harry Ratcliffe (16) adjudged LBW whilst Louis Cant had Richard Wilson (9) caught by Hinks. When Braintree’s vice-captain completed his five-wicket haul by having Tristan Peperell (5) caught behind by Renvoize Kelvedon were all out for 159 with their captain remaining not out having scored 28