Third XI Premier Division
Abhay Bygott cracked 71 to help Wanstead and Snaresbrook Thirds maintain their title push with a two-wicket win at home to Buckhurst Hill Thirds.
Inserted after losing the toss, Hill looked to have made their hosts pay for that decision as Ash Mohammed (59) and David Roberts (91) enjoyed a fruitful partnership.
However, the rest of the order could not follow their lead and with Sahil Prabhakar (4-41) and Faheem Aziz (3-34) both on song, Buckhurst were restricted to 237 for nine after 52 overs.
Wanstead’s start was less impressive as Steven Ramdial (14) and Corrie Brand (48) failed to replicate their opponents’ start. However, the home side had fight in the middle order and it was the runs of Karan Singh (45) and Bygott (71) which negotiated a path to victory as Wanstead reached 241 for eight.
Woodford Wells Thirds came up an agonising eight-runs short in their run chase at Hainault and Clayhall Thirds.
Third XI Division One
Tail-ender Ali Khan put on 114 to secure a two-wicket win for South Woodford Thirds at home to Southend-on-Sea and EMT Fourths.
Southend had looked strong as Kevin Grant made 129 in the top order but tight bowling from Jonty Burah (2-46) and Abdul Kader (2-55) restricted the visitors to 261 for four.
The South Woodford reply was stuttering but when Khan, batting at seven, came out to the middle he took charge of the situation to make 114. Alongside Arshad Rehman (34), he ensured maximum points for the hosts, posting 265 for eight.
Of all the Wanstead and Snaresbrook sides the Fourths look in the best position to win promotion but could only draw at Colchester and East Essex thirds on Saturday.
Currently table toppers Wanstead wobbled after an encouraging start and went on to post a more than underwhelming 219 all out.
Toqeer Ahmad (42) and David Sacree (51) top scored for the away side, who collapsed from 201 for six to 219 all out.
But Colchester could not overhaul that total and thanks to Abubakar Janjua (2-30) and Joel Morris-Ley (2-56), Wanstead did enough to restrict the hosts to 174 for eight without clinching the decisive final two-wickets.
Loughton Thirds are very much in the promotion battle after sealing a comfortable seven-wicket away win at Upminster Fourths.
Currently third but 12 points off the second promotion spot, Loughton chased down the home side’s total of 186 for seven (declared) and reached 189 with seven wickets in hand inside 30 overs.
Third XI Division Two
Fives and Heronians Thirds did their survival hopes the world of good with a four-wicket win at Orsett Thirds.
Having won the toss and elected to field first, Fives took advantage of that decision fully as Junaid Ilyas (3-63) and Hadder Bukhari (2-27) combined well to restrict the home side to 215 for seven declared.
And chasing down that total proved light work for the away side. Charles Allen (33) made an encouraging start which was built upon by the impressive Bukhari (58) and Nick Canacott (42), reaching 216 with four wickets in hand.
Third XI Division Three
South Woodford Fourths picked up a four-wicket win at Stanford Le Hope Thirds to boost their survival chances.
Victory means South Woodford are now 22 points clear of the drop and they sealed their latest win by restricting their hosts to 230 for seven declared.
Bikram Singh (3-59) and Meghraj Rana (2-8) were the stand-out bowlers for South Woodford, who made a poor start with the bat.
However, Rohit Sohal (51) and Qasim Shah (60) steadied the ship further down the order and eventually carried the away side to a winning total of 231 for seven.
Loughton Fourths picked up what could be a priceless 52-run success at Walthamstow Thirds.
Despite their win Loughton are still in the relegation zone but they are now a mere four points from hauling themselves out of the bottom two.
A big knock of 91 from Lynn Ninan was boosted by Harry Vallance’s 65 as Loughton opened the batting with a good total of 254 for eight.
And Loughton then completed the job by removing their hosts for just 202.
West Essex Thirds scraped a draw at Woodford Green Thirds with firm tail-order batting doing enough to rescue a share of the spoils.
Woodford won the toss and elected to bat. Barry Leigh (39) and Sam Davies (48) had a good partnership going at the top of the order but once they were removed the rest of the side failed to build on that momentum.
That was until Chirag Trivedi (32) and Chris Master (63) stepped forward to lift Green to 238 for eight declared.
West Essex were well off the pace in their reply and it took the union of Ollie Carter (60 not out) and Fareed Hussain (48) to bat for the draw, secured with 176 for eight.
Fourth XI Premier Division
Matt Oakley’s stunning seven-for helped Buckhurst Hill Fourths pick up a seven-wicket win at home to Brentwood Fourths in a low-scoring encounter.
In 13.5 overs – including an impressive five maidens – Oakley dispatched with seven Brentwood batsmen to finish with figures of 7-48, limiting the away side to a paltry 95 all out.
Buckhurst Hill then made light work of chasing down that total to pick up a routine 20 points. Aatish Parmar (28), Deep Chauhan (25) and Nadeem Yusuf (21) scoring the runs in a total of 96 for three.
Stubborn Chingford Fourths held out to secure an unlikely share of the spoils at home to Leigh on Sea Thirds, picking up four points in a draw which means they are still bottom and winless.
Howard Nicholson took 3-44 for Chingford but the hosts could not prevent the away side reaching 261 for six before declaring.
Opener Jamil Akhtar (32) made an encouraging start but he was one of just four batsmen to post double figures. Leigh were denied maximum points as Chingford held out with 161 for eight.
Fourth XI Division One
Oakfield Parkonians Thirds breezed to a 90-run win at Fives and Heronians Fourths thanks to a magnificent 111 from Taaha Naqvi.
Parks won the toss and elected to bat first. And although Ronan Karuna was gone for a duck, Naqvi more than made up for his partner’s shortcomings with a masterful knock from 84 deliveries.
Chasing 245 for seven declared, Fives came up well short of the required total thanks to fine bowling from Nav Kalley, who helped himself to 4-43 from 9.2 overs.
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