BRAINTREE Cricket Club made the short journey to Copford and although rain denied a result, they did secure enough points to ensure their Marshall Hatchick Two Counties division one status again for next season.

Will Jackson won the toss and elected to bat on a track that the home groundsman claimed was full of runs.

However, Chris Leech and Gareth Fisher, though never in any trouble, struggled to score against the pace attack of Russell Measor and Tim Richards accumulating just 43 runs off the opening 17 overs.

On 17, Fisher was first to fall and Leech soon for 27, before Dean Bass also departed for eight and Warren Celiz then mis-timed a pull shot and was caught.

Dan Garner was then adjudged LBW for just a single, next ball Barry Stephens nicked the ball to slip and when Jackson was caught for 24, Braintree were struggling on 94 for seven off 30 overs.

However, Quincy Titterton and Josh Newman commenced a re-building exercise; pair rotating the strike, blocking good balls and despatching the bad ones to the boundary.

Having at one stage looking as though they would fail to reach three figures, Braintree were now in command as Titterton brought up his half century with a towering six over long-on.

Attempting to push on, though, the Australian was out five runs later, but he and Newman had put on 95 runs for the eighth wicket.

Newman was eventually given out LBW on 45 and it was left to Robbie Spalding to take the Dolphins over 200 and secure maximum batting points.

In reply, Copford off to a steady start, putting on 56 for the first wicket before Bass snapped up a chance at gully off the bowling of Titterton.

Having watched spinner Kieron Savill’s earlier success for the hosts, Bass and Stephens were brought onto bowl their own spin.

Wickets immediately followed, but with rain starting to fall, play was abandoned with the home team reaching 112 for three.

However, not only had Braintree secured themselves enough points to guarantee division one cricket for another year, but other results saw them climbing to fifth position in the league.

On Saturday, Braintree welcome Coggeshall to Panfield Lane in the final game of the season.