FOLLOWING the previous week’s washout, Braintree Cricket Club headed to Worlington looking to cement their mid-table position in division one of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship but ended up on the wrong side of a 189-run defeat.

Captain Will Jackson won the toss and, with a strong bowling attack behind him, elected to put Worlington into bat on a green track.

He was hoping to take early wickets through the opening pace attack of Quincy Titterton and Gareth Fisher and Fisher soon sent Ben Hyde’s stumps tumbling and had Ford caught at mid-off by Robbie Spalding.

With both openers back in the pavilion inside six overs and Titterton picking up a third wicket with the score on 68, Braintree had their tails up.

Josh Newman and Dean Bass were brought into the bowling attack and slowed the run rate down and with dark clouds threatening, restricted Worlington to just six runs off seven overs.

Eventually the heavens opened and play was halted for 20 minutes, but on resumption, Braintree lost the control they had shown earlier and Worlington's batsmen scored runs freely.

Matters were made worse when Steve Hale, attempting a catch on the boundary, succeeded only in splitting a finger open and had to head to hospital.

With a player less in the field, Worlington found the gaps with ease and put on 202 runs for the fourth wicke.

Eventually after accumulating 153 runs, Jimmy Watson was run out as Dan Chalk’s throw from the boundary directly hit the stumps, but Worlington amassed a total of 315.

In reply Braintree struggled to score runs and the usually prolific Dean Bass (7) was soon dismissed, dragging a ball on to his own stumps and fellow opener Chris Leech (11) quickly followed.

Worlington bowler Sean Cooper was proving to be a big problem as Jackson (2), Chalk (2) and Newman (0) all fell victims to him in the space of three overs and only Warren Celiz showed any resistance, playing a more reserved game than usual, but still punishing bad balls.

However, when on 34, he found his stumps dismantled and Braintree were floundering on 63 for the loss of six wickets.

Titterton and Gareth Fisher (12) put on 39 for the seventh wicket and Titterton hit some lusty blows before being bowled for 42 and with Spalding failing to trouble the scorers and Hale absent, Braintree were all out for just 126.

On Saturday, Braintree entertain second-placed Wivenhoe.