Braintree second XI’s search for their first win of the season continues after defeat at Kesgrave but In game not without some huge positives for the team as Andy Gowers returned figures of 7-36 with the ball and Joe Osborne hit 40 not out in the reply. Some excellent catches too with Osborne and Charlie Garner in particular taking some special grabs.



Skipper Andy Sherry won the toss and elected to bowl first on a interesting looking track with some thick green patches but the opening pair of Marques and Gogna started brightly before Gowers took a sharp return catch to dismiss Gongs for 16. Shortly after, the very bottom handed Marques fell into a trap set by Sherry and he hit Leigh Garner straight to Dave Hale at cow corner who didn’t have to move to take a comfortable catch.

Frustration then for Braintree as Ryan Hoyle and Kieren Perez put on 180 For the third wicket with Perez scoring a classy 129 playing shots all around the wicket punishing anything in the slightest loose.

Even more frustrating for Braintree was the way the Kesgrave innings capitulated once that partnership was broken with the last 8 wickets falling for 42 runs as the return of Gowers saw wickets tumble. Shaun Gould got rid of Hoyle, who had not been as fluent as Perez, as he chipped one up in the air for Sherry to take a comfortable catch at mid wicket and Perez eventually fell to a fine catch on the mid wicket boundary by Osborne.

If only Braintree could have got a breakthrough earlier in that mammoth 3rd wicket partnership as no one else managed double figures with the exception of 10 from Nathan Pryor before he hit Gower’s to Joe Osborne who took another great catch out in the deep.

Gowers finished with fantastic figures of 11.3-1-36-7



So 269 was the ambitious target and the opening pair of Dave Hale and Arindam Ganguly found scoring tricky with the ball doing plenty early on. Hale eventually found some rhythm scoring boundaries down the ground but was the first to fall as he edged Calum Brooks to keeper Hoyle for 20. Ganguly was then beaten by a lack of bounce as he was bowled for 5 before Sherry top edged to the keeper, again off of

Brooks, for 1.

Andy Gowers then joined Joe Osborne at the crease and they built a nice partnership as Braintree went on the search of batting points but having put on 41 the introduction of Sree Natajaran changed the tone of the innings as he ripped though the middle and lower order of the Dolphins line up taking 6-17 in 6.3 overs of skiddy swing bowling.

Standing solid amongst the carnage though was Joe Osborne who showed great composure and tenacity alongside some exquisite drives and pull shots on his way to 40 not out. An impressive knock from a young batsmen with a very bright future

Next week the II’s welcome Melton St Aubrey’s as they look to record that illusive first victory and kick start their season