Essex League: Hornchurch extend lead, Brentwood climb

Hornchurch moved 19 points clear at the top of the Hamro Foundation Essex League Premier Division at the season’s midway point after beating Colchester in their summit meeting.

And Brentwood climbed into second place after their victory at Loughton, but Wanstead were left frustrated by Hadleigh’s last-wicket pair in their draw.

Hornchurch captain Billy Gordon chose to bat at Harrow Lodge after winning the toss once again but saw Jalpesh Vijay fall cheaply.

Lesbourne Edwards (34) and Jamie Sorrell (28) put on 61 for the second wicket, but then fell in quick succession to leave the hosts 76-3.

Gordon was fourth man out before his side had reached three figures, but George Hankins (62) put on 80 with Ronnie Saunders (43).

And Adeel Malik hit an unbeaten 49 from 50 balls, while Gavin Griffiths hit three sixes in his 21 from 14 balls to help lift the total to 266-8.

Colchester slipped to 95-5 in reply, as opener Joe MacGregor saw wickets fall saw to Saunders, Malik and Griffiths at the other end.

Marc Whitlock (3-33) then got in on the act, claiming the scalp of MacGregor for 74 before Malik (4-38) and Griffiths (2-19) completed a 107-run win.

Brentwood skipper Aaron West chose to bat and put on 79 with Ed Ballard, before falling two runs short of a half-century.

Will Buttleman (41) added 108 for the second wicket, with Ballard reaching 100 off 149 balls, with 11 fours.

But Brentwood slipped from 200-2 to 211-7, before Charlie Griffiths hit 39 off 33 balls to help them reach 263.

And Griffiths made the breakthrough with the ball, ending a 64-run opening stand.

Griffiths (3-75), Daniel Drew and Bailey Wightman had further success, but Loughton reached 190-5 before losing their last five wickets for just 13 runs.
Wightman (2-47) nabbed another victim, while West took 3-12 to secure a 60-run triumph.

Wanstead slipped to 71-5 at Hadleigh, with only Haaris Usman (37) making an impact, before captain Joe Ellis-Grewal (33) put on 106 with Adnan Akram.

And after Akram was dismissed for 76, having hit a six and 10 fours, Jonathan Das (27) and Hamza Shoaib (34 off 24) helped lift the total to 257.

Yuvraj Odedra struck early with the ball in Hadleigh’s reply, but their second-wicket pair put on 115 before Jahansher Akbar dismissed Darius Vapiwala (55).

And Ellis-Grewal then worked his way through the card to pick up 7-63 from his 20-over spell, only for Hadleigh’s tailenders to survive as they closed on 248-9.

Wanstead took 15 points from the draw to climb above their rivals into fifth place, while Hutton celebrated a convincing win over Buckhurst Hill at the Polo Field Ground.

After slipping to 12-2, they saw Sean Sullivan and Joseph Parry put on 156 for the third wicket.

Sullivan fell one short of a century, having hit a six and 17 fours, but Parry added another 67 with Cameron Tredgett (36).

And Parry went on to reach 100 from 142 balls, with a six and 14 fours, before he was sixth man out with the total on 268.

Viraj Gandhi smacked an unbeaten 30 off 14 balls, with two sixes and two fours, to see Hutton reach 304-7 declared and Thomas Debenham removed Jaydeep Dhuria with the first ball of Buckhurst Hill’s innings.

The visitors slipped to 100-8, with Parry (2-22) nabbing a brace, before a 60-run stand for their ninth wicket.

Gandhi ended that resistance, though, and wrapped up a 135-run win to finish with 6-36.