Bowling to World Cup-winning batsmen in net sessions should have been good preparation for Braintree Cricket Club’s overseas player on their return to division one of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship.

Australian Lachlan Ford made a huge impact for the club in their successful promotion campaign last year and following his return Down Under, he has been replaced by a fellow Antipodean – Quincy Titterton – for the 2016 campaign.

Braintree captain Will Jackson said the club are delighted to have a player with Titterton’s pedigree on board ahead of today's season's opener at home against Worlington.

The 23-year-old right-arm seam bowler has arrived in Essex having played plenty of Sydney Grade cricket with Blacktown and has also spent time bowling to the Sri Lankan and recently-crowned World T20 champion West Indies sides in net sessions.

“We’ve strengthened with a new overseas player,” said Jackson.

“He is another Australian called Quincy Titterton, who is a predominantly a seam bowler.

“He’s played Sydney Grade cricket, which is the same level that Lachlan (Ford) was playing before he came to Braintree and has net bowled against both Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

“He’s a great addition as the demand on the bowling is greater in this division.

“We have also brought in a bowler called Josh Newman, who is from Rayne.

“He has been playing T Rippon cricket and has a lot of pace.

“There are also demands on the batting but we’re confident with our batting as that was our strength last year – it won us the league really. We obviously have to replace the runs that Lachlan (Ford) scored for us last year, but I’ve asked the boys to step up.

“The belief is there and we just have to prove ourselves now that we can be a division one club.”

While there is plenty of focus on the first-team this year, Braintree are also strengthening at younger age levels.

The club have colts teams from under-10stens Kwik Cricket and under-11 hardball through to under-16s.

Head coach Iain Twinn, working alongside the club’s other ECB-qualified coaches, will be running coaching sessions on Wednesdays for the Kwik Cricket and under-11s and on Thursdays up to under-16s.

Sessions start on April 14 between 7pm and 8pm.