DAN Garner believes that Braintree Cricket Club’s players will have to rise to the task of other sides targeting them in Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division two.

The new Braintree captain knows that, as a side that has just come down from division and with two years of experience of top-flight cricket under their belts, his team will be viewed as one of the favourites.

And while promotion back to division one is Garner and his team’s clearly-stated intention this season, he feels that his players will have to deal with the added pressure of expectation.

He said: “I believe every team is capable of beating each other in division two and I think any side that is relegated naturally becomes a scalp the following season and Haverhill (the other relegated side last year) will have the same problem.

“From our perspective, we have to make sure we are prepared for each game to help us perform to our best.”

The pressure is likely to start this weekend when Braintree belatedly begin their division two campaign with a home fixture against Ipswich and East Suffolk on Saturday.

They had been due to get under way at Copdock and Old Ipswichian last weekend, but due to wet weather making pitch preparations difficult during the early part of the spring, a decision was made to hold back the entire league programme for an additional week.

It has given Braintree’s players an extra seven days to get themselves ready for the season and Garner is looking for a strong opening to lay an important building block for the rest of the campaign.

He said: “If we can start with a good performance and a win then we can build our season on from that point.”