Captain Joe Ellis-Grewal came up big with a six-for as Wanstead & Snaresbrook beat Loughton by seven wickets on Saturday

Joe Ellis-Grewal delivered a captain’s performance by taking a six-for in Wanstead & Snaresbrook’s seven-wicket destruction of Loughton on Saturday.

The win leaves Wanstead third in the league standings, nine points behind top side Brentwood with four games to play.

Visitors Loughton won the toss and made a decision they would soon come to regret by electing to open the batting.

Opening pair Ubaid Ur Rehman Kiani (25) and Rishi Patel (18) both got starts but their knocks were the best a dire Loughton innings had to offer.

Patel fell to Zain Shahzad (two for 27) before skipper Ellis Grewal (six for 25) got in on the act in a remarkable spell.

From 35 for one Loughton soon found themselves at 36 for four. Kieran Scarlioli (17) was the only other visiting batsman to reach double figures and Loughton were removed for a paltry 79 after just 35.3 overs.

Title-hopefuls Wanstead made light work of chasing down that lowly total but not before Mohammad Ali Syed Zaidi (1) had been dismissed with only ten runs on the board.

Loughton's Ubain Ur Rehman Kiani could not inspire his side against Wanstead. Picture: Dave Loveday

Arfan Akram (31) and Feroze Khushi (30) combined to nudge the home side towards the requisite 80 for three to seal the win.

Jordan Price’s six-wicket haul helped South Woodford to a vital eight-wicket win over Ilford in their battle against the drop.

Now two places and ten points clear of the relegation zone, Woodford lost the toss but the decision by Ilford to field was one which soon looked misguided as they were removed for just 80 after 31.5 overs.

Price (six for 32) accounted for both openers for single figures before Aron Nijar (47) came in at number three to offer brief resistance for the away side.

Once he was gone the rest of the order soon tumbled, Harry Shirt finishing with three for 25 from his 11-over spell.

South Woodford made minimal fuss of reaching the required score.

Dane Watson (20) and Michael Browne (13) were lost cheaply, however, James Swash (29 not out) and Max Shirt (17 not out) came to the crease and wrapped up the win in 20 overs by making it to 82 for two.

A century from Mubasher Hassan off just 73 deliveries was not enough to prevent Chingford falling to a nine-wicket defeat at Chelmsford.

The visitors won the toss and elected to make first use of the wicket. Alfie Taylor (6) fell with 22 runs on the board but Hassan powered on, bludgeoning 14 fours and two sixes to put on a quick-fire 105.

But Hassan’s knock proved was the high point of the innings as the rest of the order failed to get going and were toppled for an underwhelming 177.

Chelmsford then raced to 179 to clinch the win, losing just one wicket en-route to victory as Nicholas Bailey (104 not out) and Dan Hagen (64) combined to devastating effect.

Buckhurst Hill missed out on a crucial win after playing out a draw at Colchester and East Essex.

Hosts Colchester overcame an inauspicious start and the loss of opener Kemsley Robb (0) to Mohib Shah (five for 78) to compile an intimidating total of 269 for eight.

Shah, along with Russell Beckett (two for 24) helped keep the home side’s score down, though Julian Russell (101) and Sam Foster (95) still had joy with the bat.

Darren Ironside got the Buckhurst reply off to the worst possible start, dismissed for a duck without a run on the board.

But through Prashant Chand-Bajpal (28) and Ironside (36), the away side gradually built. Shah, in at four, put on 95 from just 106 balls before Raymond Parkinson got in on the act to make 53.

All of that was not enough, though, and Buckhurst Hill fell agonizingly short of maximum points by running out of time on 269 for nine.

Division One

Rory Ellison’s five-for was not enough to seal victory for Woodford Wells, who instead went down by 142 runs at Hainault and Clayhall.

Wells had decided to field after winning the toss and despite Ellison’s (five for 71) best efforts, they were still able to make it to 229 for six thanks to good scores from Etinder Bopara (55) and Mosshin Ismail (64).

The Woodford reply proved a disaster, though. Joe Johnson went for a duck before the side had put any runs on the board and his short-lived spell at the crease set the tone for the rest of a disappointing innings.

Christopher Briggs (19) and Brenton Thompson (38) were the only two Woodford batsmen to make double figures but neither man stuck around long enough to put on a big knock and Wells were removed for a miserable 87 after 26 overs.

Division Two

Fives and Heronians strengthened their position at the summit of the table with a five-wicket win at home to Belhus, sealed thanks to Gary Norris’ 71.

Hosts Fives opted to field first after winning the toss and their decision was vindicated as they removed their visitors for just 155.

Selvam Ramasamy was a big part of that success, taking five for 31 from 13 overs and recording three maidens. He was well supported by Gamindu Kanishka, who took three for 12 and managed two maidens in a 6.2 over spell.

In reply, Norris, batting at three, inspired Fives to victory. His 71, added to by 28 from Kanishka, proved the difference as Fives eased to 157 with five wickets down.

Division Three

Table-toppers Oakfield Parkonians battered West Essex by 179 runs thanks to Aman Ali’s remarkable five-for.

Put into bat after hosts West Essex won the toss, Parks made a poor start as Vikram Handa (31) and Raghav Chopra (1) stuttered.

But the middle order got going and Jibran Azam (37), Haris Khan (82) and Rana Muhammed Arslan (53) all contributed well towards a total of 272 for nine (declared), despite the best efforts of Mubashir Javed (three for 25).

Ten-man West Essex offered little in reply and once Sajid Mehmood, one short of his half-century, was gone off the bowling of Ali (five for nine), the resistance crumbled.

Ali then took wasted no time in tearing through the West Essex line-up, recording two maidens in his deadly 7.2 over spell.

Woodford Green's Sean Martin in action. Picture: Dave Loveday

Asif Iqbal’s half century ensured Epping snuck a three-wicket win at home to Woodford Green, just keeping the hosts above the relegation zone.

With just four to play Epping are third bottom and 41 points clear of second bottom West Essex.

But they enhanced their survival chances on Saturday with a priceless win. Their decision to field first proved shrewd as they restricted Woodford Green to 213 for nine (declared).

Hamaad Sayyed (44) and Sean Martin (39) top scored for Green as Epping made certain the away side did not put up too imposing a score.

Iqbal (57) got the Epping reply off to the ideal start and was supported by Tapan Patel (36) and Amir Khan (31) as the home side made the points safe with three wickets in hand.