Basildon 85

Harlow 86-3

Rock-bottom Basildon's hopes of ending the Shepherd Neame League Third Division season with a win now rest on their ability to triumph at Southend next week.

On Saturday they crashed to a predictable defeat at Harlow, who, despite this success, look like missing out on promotion to Hutton.

Basildon were 41-2 at one stage but then suffered the sort of collapse that has dogged them all term. Luke Daw made an unbeaten 26, but there was little else to write home about.

Home captain Ian Hill captured four wickets and his Basildon counterpart Mark Eyres admitted: "We made some silly mistakes when batting. It was an unpredictable pitch on which the ball kept low, but we again played a major part in our own downfall."

Ayres gambled by opening the bowling with his spinners, but it didn't pay off and he himself weighed in with all three wickets to fall at a cost of 23 runs before Harlow won after only 16 overs.

Odedra was the home batting star with 37.

Westcliff add to season of woe

Westcliff 176-8 dec

Chingford 177-2

(Chingford won)

Although well clear of the drop, Westcliff continued a disappointing end to their Shepherd Neame League Division Two season with defeat at Chingford.

They got off to a good enough start with John Pratt (59) and Duncan Paveling (58) putting on 110 for the second wicket and their 176-8 declared total in 52 overs looked a healthy one.

However, Chingford smashed off the runs for the loss of only two wickets in only 37 overs with John Dyers (85 not out) leading the way.

Westcliff were against well understrength with six regular First-teamers out. Said skipper Tim Wade: "It was a very disappointing day.

"We have been hit by having to field weakened sides recently, but it looks as though only one of the missing men will be back next week for our final match at Orsett."

Loss gives Hadleigh a mountain to climb

Orsett 194

Hadleigh and Thundersley 173-9

(Match drawn)

Hadleigh's thrilling push for promotion from the First Division of the Shepherd Neame League will go right to the wire.

At home to Orsett, they failed to find the victory which could have almost certainly clinched their climb into the top flight.

In fact, they got just six points from the draw and now face a final day winner-takes- all clash at Colchester and East Essex, just a point behind them, next Saturday.

Orsett batted first and owed much to J Lewis (52) and D Pollybank (43) for their 194 total. Opening bowler Elliott Wilson took 4-35 and spinner Chierag Desai 542.

When Hadleigh replied, top order men Glen Geeson (30) and Neil Goodman (72) were the only ones to really get among the runs.

All-round star Pollybank took 4-46 and D Cracknell 3-25 and in the end it was a case of the home side clinging on for a share of the spoils.

I'm watching you! - an Orsett batsmen gives Hadleigh bowler Elliott Wilson a glare after receiving a high-speed bouncer

Pictures: STEPHEN LLOYD

Leigh have top spot in their sights

Leigh 203-4

Ilford 204-8

(Ilford won)

Leigh, already certain of promotion from the Shepherd Neame League Second Division, are still in with a chance of going up as champions - despite being beaten by high-flying Ilford, who included ex Essex star John Lever in their line-up.

Leigh finish their season against Stanford next week while South Woodford, their fellow promoted rivals looking for the crown, are themselves up against an Ilford side in what is something of a needle match.

Steve Adelaine, in his last match of the season, scored 71 before travelling back to his native South Africa and got good backing from Norman Puckerin (48), Mark Sexton (30) and Jerry Holmes (28 not out).

Declaring in the 51st over, Leigh saw Ilford reach 70-1, but then really fancied their victory chances when they had their rivals stuttering at 132-7.

However, a fine 49 from number nine batsman Malik took Ilford to victory in the penultimate over.

Ben Giles, a 21-year-old medium pace seamer just back from University, took 4-58 on his first team debut and Leigh, although they'd loved to have won, were pleased with a haul of 11 points.

Said skipper Simon Burch: "At the end of the day if we couldn't win losing didn't really matter. It was our own points haul that was most important.

"Now everything depends on the last day of the season. Obviously promotion was always our number one aim this term, but we'd love to cap it by taking the title."

Third spot on the cards for Old Boys

Hornchurch 209-9

Old Southendians 164-7

(Match drawn)

The Old Boys will finish the season third in Division Two of the Shepherd Neame League if they can pick up their expected 18 points from beating whipping boys Brookweald next Saturday.

Southendians' hosts have yet to confirm that they will even be able to field a side - if not Chris Bunce's men will take the tally without bowling a ball.

Southendian collected six points from this clash at a lowly Hornchurch side who had, however, beaten them earlier in the campaign.

Hornchurch made their runs in 52 overs, leaving the Old Boys only 40 for their reply. They always looked being short of the target but James Blackmore (70) and Bunce himself, unbeaten on 29, ensured there was little chance of defeat.

Although finishing just outside the top two is always a frustration, Southendian admit that they would have been well happy to finish as high as third at the start of the campaign.

Horne blows rivals apart

Harold Wood 165

Southend 81

(Harold Wood won)

Southend's brittle batting again let the seasiders down after young John Horne's off-spin had torn the homesters apart with figures of 7-69.

Harold Wood were 63-0 at one stage before a change of bowling let Horne, promoted from the seconds, in to wreak havoc with the last six home wickets going down for 18 runs.

For the third week running, the batting collapsed with Southend skipper Nigel Green admitting: "We just played a succession of awful shots."

Asian Shahzad did little with the ball for his figures of 5-40, but he didn't have to as Southend departed at a quick rate with only Jeremy Lawford, coming in late and hitting 20, making any batting impression.

Added Green: "It's been a frustrating season. On the batting side we've undoubtedly badly missed the experience of Steve Wathen since he was forced out with a nasty achilles injury.

"At the time he was averaging over 50 in League cricket and you can't take away that kind of experience and expect not to notice it."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.