Braintree Cricket Club will have to make changes to their line-up as they look to set up a final-day thriller in the race for promotion from Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division two.

Having kept the pressure on second-placed Halstead with a 98-run win against Easton last weekend, Braintree, who are third, are looking to extend their winning run to seven games when they head to Kelvedon and Feering on Saturday.

They know a win could take them above Halstead if they slip up this weekend, but even if their rivals are victorious in their fixture against Easton, a full 20-point haul for Braintree will set up a winner-takes-all clash when they and Halstead meet on the last day of the season the following week.

Braintree vice-captain Will Jackson said: “If we beat Kelvedon and then Halstead, we know we’ll go up.

“It’s possible that the top three may all go up, but we are going for second spot and we haven’t finished above Halstead for ten to 15 years so that’s an added incentive.

“We’ve played three games less than Halstead as well due to having games called off earlier in the summer, so it will be a final-day thriller and a nice place for us to be in.

“But we’re going to have to do it this week with a changed side as I won’t be there and neither will (captain) Nick (Butler), Oli Grayson, Barry Stephens, Simon Jones or our chairman, Steve Hale.

“There’s a lot of experience there, but we still have depth at the club and we’ll still put out a strong side.

“The top four of the batting order will still be there and it’s good to keep that settled.”