BRAINTREE Cricket Club may already have met their main objective in Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division one but captain Will Jackson insists there will be no early start to their end-of-season party.

Despite rain bringing an early halt to their game at Copford last weekend and not allowing a result to be reached, Braintree took enough points to secure their top-flight status and results elsewhere meant they moved up into the top five in the table.

They end the season with a home game against Coggeshall on Saturday and, with fifth place not yet guaranteed as theirs, Jackson says he and his players will keep battling until the final ball has been bowled.

He said: "It was a shame that the rain came down at Copford as it was boiling down to a tight finish, but it was still nice to get the points to put us fifth in the league as well as make us safe from relegation.

"Competing in and securing our place in division one was the main goal for the club this season and to be sitting fifth with a game to go is an achievement for us.

"To have done it with a group of players who have come through the colts shows it has been a real local effort and is a big achievement in itself.

"The seconds have also stayed up (in division six) and the Sunday side have finished third (in division C), which also shows that we have youngsters coming through.

"It's a fantastic position to be in, but we want to make sure we stay fifth in division one and won't let off in the last game of the season.

"It has been a tough season and we want to put everything into this last game.

"We are going for fifth and we will enjoy it against Coggeshall."

Jackson said he expected Dan Chalk and Geoff Eveling to come back in for the firsts on Saturday, but Barry Stephens was likely to miss the final game due to personal commitments.