Basildon 124

Harlow 125-4

(Harlow won)

Outstanding batting side Harlow left struggling Basildon nursing another Mopsies Park setback after the home outfit had been dismissed for 124.

An outstanding knock by Steve Parker (54) helped Basildon along and he and Trevor Wilson (14) helped them recover from a shock 16-3 position.

Luke Daw also did well with an unbeaten 19, but the total was not good enough to stop Harlow winning with ease.

Benfleet improve

Benfleet 137

Upminster 139-4

(Upminster won)

Benfleet put up a better battling display against an outstanding Upminster side before being beaten on a much-improved Woodside Park pitch.

A Berry was the pick of the visiting bowlers with 6-51 in 14.1 overs.

Mike Tremain was top scorer for Benfleet with 28, while opener Lewis Edwards hit 24.

When Upminster replied, Andy Faraday, up from the 2nds, took 1-45 in 12 overs and proud skipper father Jon Wright looked on as 15-year-old son Phillip held a very good slip catch on his debut.

Stuart Wiggins (1-29), Troy Burns (1-35) and spinner Chris Coltham (0-25) all bowled well even though Benfleet managed only three points.

D Ebrahim, from Zimbabwe, was top scorer with 51 as Upminster made their winning total in 37.4 overs.

Said captain Wright: "With six players getting into double figures we badly needed one or two of them to go on to totals in the 30s or more.

"However, we were certainly not disgraced against a very useful side and are improving week by week."

Pair frustrate Southend

Southend 200-9

Harold Wood 142-9

(Match drawn)

Despite failing to grab the last Harold Wood wicket to pull off a win, Southend gave their Shepherd Neame League Division Three promotion prospects a boost with 12 points from this away draw.

Ian Heiser led the Southend run charge with 76 and was well-supported by Ben Wathen, who hit five fours and two sixes in a very rapid 44.

With Jeremy Lawford taking 3-36 in 14 overs, Harold Wood were never in the victory hunt, but their last pair hung on.

Old Boys slump on day of upsets

Hornchurch 262-4

Old Southendian 183

(Hornchurch won)

With Leigh losing, the Old Boys missed out on a chance of giving their Division Two fortunes a big boost.

Only Alan Draycott really got among the runs in reply to a 262-4 total by the Southchurch Park visitors.

Draycott made 67, with Dave Johnson next highest on 21 not out.

Dave Slaughter (3-87) had been the top Old Boys bowler earlier, but this was generally a day to forget for Southendian.

Leaders eclipsed despite superb 92 from Holmes

Leigh 200-9

Ilford 201-4

(Ilford won)

Leaders Leigh found the opposition of a good Ilford side, who had Pakistan Test man Mohammed Akram in their line-up, too much to cope with at Chalkwell and lost for the first time this season in the Shepherd Neame League Second Division.

Nigel Holmes batted superbly for almost the entire innings for 92 and got good support from brother Jeremy (25) and Norman Puckering (36).

World Cup star Akram finished up with two of the hosts' wickets.

Ilford, who were thrashed by Old Southendian last week, looked in trouble at 14-3 but eventually won with five overs to spare, but Leigh kept top spot.

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