Essex League: Hornchurch go clear; Wanstead, Brentwood win

Hornchurch moved 16 points clear at the top of the Hamro Foundation Essex League Premier Division after victory at Chingford.

Billy Gordon chose to bat as play switched to the all-day format, but saw in-form Jalpesh Vijay fall for 15, after hitting a six and two fours.

And Paul Murray (29) and Jamie Sorrell (23) both made starts but their exits left Hornchurch 79-3.

Gordon scored 17 off 47 balls, before falling with the total on 126, but George Hankins and Ronnie Saunders then doubled the total with a decisive fifth-wicket stand.

Saunders hit a six and eight fours in his 51 from 66 balls, with Hankins going on to add a further 67 with Adeel Malik.

Hankins eventually fell for 143, having hit four sixes and 17 fours in a 124-ball innings, while Malik was unbeaten on 34 from 20 balls, after striking two sixes and three fours.

Gordon declared at 319-6 midway through the 62nd over then removed Rishi Roy-Mukherjee with the first ball of Chingford’s reply.

Gavin Griffiths struck at the other end to leave the hosts 1-2, before Sehan Weerasinghe (55) and Tom Balkwill (30) put on 79.

Malik made the breakthrough and picked up two more scalps as Chingford slipped from 80-2 to 115-7, with  Gordon (2-53) grabbing a second victim.

But Chingford’s last three wickets added 91 before Malik (6-56) completed a 113-run victory, as nearest rivals Colchester drew at third-placed Buckhurst Hill.

Wanstead remain in fourth place after beating Loughton at Overton Drive.
The visitors looked set for a good total after reaching 190-4, led by a half-century from Omar Akram (64).

But young Ali Zeb removed Bilal Butt (45) and went on to finish with a superb 6-15 haul as Loughton collapsed to 222 all out in the 54th over.

Wanstead lost Haaris Usman without scoring and captain Joe Ellis-Grewal, promoted to open, soon after to find themselves 18-2.

But Zoraiz Saeed (42) put on 107 with Yuvraj Odedra, who hit two sixes and nine fours in his 71 off 73 balls.

And Zeb completed a fine all-round display by scoring an unbeaten 62 from 71 balls, sharing an unbroken 89-run stand with Nabeel Aziz (36 not out) to seal a six-wicket win.

Brentwood are one point behind the Herons in fifth place after easing past Hadleigh & Thundersley.

The visitors reached 102-2, before Bailey Wightman dismissed Cameron Shekleton (55), captain Sam Handley and Luke Smith to claim a hat-trick.

And Wightman struck again after Jack Hebron had got in on the act to leave Hadleigh 107-7, before picking up two more wickets to finish with 6-37 as they were dismissed for 133.

In reply, Brentwood captain Aaron West hit seven fours in his 35, before Hebron (70 not out) saw the home side to a seven-wicket victory.

Hutton fell to defeat at Chelmsford, who posted 272-6 from 64 overs at Chelmer Park.

James Grady (45), Cameron Tredgett (42), Connor Whetstone (31), Joel Hussain (29), Will Spires (28) and captain Alex Tredgett (24) all made starts for Hutton, but Ben Waring (5-62) bowled Chelmsford to a 27-run win.