BRAINTREE Cricket Club bounced back from a heavy defeat at the hands of Worlington the week before with an eye-catching victory against Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division one title-chasers Wivenhoe.

Captain Will Jackson lost the toss and the visitors elected to bat first on a Braintree deck that looked full of runs.

The opening pair of Matt Durrell (34) and Jordan Elliott (54) got Wivenhoe off to an excellent start, putting on 102 for the first wicket in only 15 overs and they looked in total command.

That was until Dean Bass was brought into the attack, though.

He soon had the opposition in a spin, with both openers completely deceived and having their stumps removed in quick succession, while Quincy Titterton beat his fellow Australian Jonty Rushton (12) for pace and Warren Celiz joyfully took a thin edge at full stretch.

Ryan Vickery was hoping to continue his recent good form, however, Bass had other ideas and having scored just a single the former Braintree man was also cleaned bowled.

James Butcher's stumps suffered the same fate from Bass and he then completed his five-wicket haul with a caught and bowled.

The Titterton and Celiz combination then struck again and the Wivenhoe batting had collapsed, with seven wickets falling for 39 runs.

Some resistance was shown by the lower order, but Jackson claimed a wicket with only his second delivery and went on to pick up two further wickets as Wivenhoe were all out for 208.

In reply, Braintree got off to the worse possible start as Chris Leech was run out backing up and Bass was stumped with just a boundary to his name. Celiz and Rory Ainsley began the rescue bid, though, patiently putting together a partnership of 56.

Celiz was eventually trapped LBW for 39 and Dan Chalk went soon after, but Ainsley was joined at the crease by Gareth Fisher and they continued the rebuilding, until Ainsley was bowled for 58.

With just 15 overs remaining Braintree were still 90 runs short of their target but with five wickets still in hand, there was always a chance of reaching it.

Jackson made a quickfire 19, Fisher went for 22 after frustrating the Wivenhoe bowlers for the best part of an hour, Josh Newman holed out in the deep for nine and Titterton played sensibly before being controversially given out caught behind for 17 off Rushton.

That brought the last pair together with Braintree still needing 20 runs for victory, but Dan Garner hit some lusty blows and the target was reduced to eight runs from the last over.

Garner proceeded to hit the first ball out of the ground and then take a quick single off the second to tie the scores and it was left to veteran Jamie Foyster to hit the winning run with two balls to spare.

Braintree now head to another title-chasing side, Mildenhall, on Saturday.