Two side with contrasting starts to the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division one season will face each other today as an old rivalry is rekindled.

Braintree will be hosting Witham at St Peter’s Road with bragging rights as well as league points on the line.

Today’s hosts have had a tough time since stepping back into division one this year, with last weekend’s seven-wicket defeat at Frinton leaving them without a win since their return to the top-flight, while Witham’s thrilling one-run win against Mistley was their third in a row.

So both will be eager for points as well as looking to get one over their local rivals, but Braintree skipper Will Jackson feels his team can’t get involved in that aspect of the encounter.

Jackson said: “The key will be for us not to get involved in the rivalry between the clubs.

“The last time we met was when they were in division two and it ended in a draw off the final ball.

“Witham are a fiercely competitive team but we have to focus on our game and not get involved in that rivalry.

“It may sound funny, but we can look at Witham as a side to emulate as they have gone up and have now established themselves as one of the strongest sides in division one, which is what we want to do.

“We can learn from them but we have to stay focused on Saturday.

“It is at Braintree, we feel confident at home and we actually know their players, whereas a lot of the teams we’re coming up against this year are unknown quantities.”

Witham captain Jake Wakelin is also looking forward to the game, especially after an under-par display against Mistley last weekend, but he hopes his players will respond positively.

He said: “It’s a local derby and one we can’t wait for.

“We will try not to get too hyped up by the fact that it’s Braintree, though, and we’ll try to treat it as just another game in this league.

“We are used to it now and we know that everyone is in this league because they know how to play.

“It was a tight one for us last weekend (against Mistley) but that may have done us a favour.

“People may have expected us to win, but it gave us a kick up the backside and it showed us that we can’t take anything for granted.

“We certainly won’t do that with Braintree and we’ll be as strong as we can be.

“We’ve got Jack Sambrook coming back in so I may have some selection headaches, but that’s the way you’d rather have it.”