Essex League: Mixed fortunes for Division One rivals

Ilford edged to a one-wicket win at Harold Wood in their Hamro Foundation Essex League Division One encounter.

The hosts chose to bat and reached 69-1 as Taqi Abbas (39), Dhruv Talati and Majed Ali made starts.

But they collapsed to 90-7 as Haaris Ayub (4-39) and Mohammad Ahktar (4-46) combined with the ball for Ilford and needed contributions from Maruf Chowdhury (35) and Praveen Kumar (15) to reach 136 in the 40th over.

Ilford reached 106-4 in reply, as Akash Raji held firm at one end, but then wobbled after Ahktar (37) departed.

Raji followed soon after, having scored 41 off 114 balls, and Ilford lost two wickets without addition when five runs short of their target as Abbas picked up 4-33.

But the visitors got over the line in the 50th over of their reply, ahead of a home date with Gidea Park & Romford, as Wood host Belhus.

Park eased to a six-wicket win over Old Brentwoods at Gallows Corner, after dismissing them for a modest 132.

Rashid Mullahzadah hit 50 off 41 balls for the visitors, as Shavawn Cunningham (3-12), Will Chuter (3-46) and Aditya Kumar (2-15) had most success with the ball.

Park slipped to 67-4 in reply, after Sumit Kumar made 25, but Hasitha Nirmal hit an unbeaten 43 off 21 balls alongside Cunninhgam to see them to their target in the 19th over.

Billericay were convincing winners of their derby with Shenfield as the visitors slumped to 44-6 after choosing to bat, with Robert Rayner (4-34) running riot.

And although Jack Newton (34) and Christopher Bridle (51) put on 60 for the seventh wicket, Shenfield were all out for 149 as Arjun Bhardwaj (3-45) and Ross Poulton (2-34) mopped up.

Billericay raced to a 10-wicket win to move top of the table as Bhardwaj (55 not out) and Raynard Van Tonder (88 not out) shared an unbroken 152-run stand.

They visit nearest rivals Epping this Saturday.

Upminster had to settle for a draw at Belhus, after another century from Australian Beau Webster.

One week on from his maiden hundred at Shenfield, Webster scored 172 off 147 balls – with eight sixes and 13 fours – to lead Upminster to 295-7.

Webster put on 102 with Kiran Kullar (35) and 77 with Harry Jenkins, who hit an unbeaten 29 off 19 balls.

Belhus reached 101-1 in reply and saw Gus Philpot (52), Joe Joyce (53) and Jack Plom (51) score half-centuries as they closed on 226-7.

Shafiq Rahman (3-35) was the pick of the Upminster attack, as Webster nabbed 2-61, ahead of a home date with Fives & Heronians, who lost by five wickets to high-flying Epping.

Opener Ben Yeats scored 106 off 143 balls as Fives reached 215-9, but Imrul Kayes replied with an unbeaten 100 off 90 deliveries and Qais Ahmed clubbed an unbeaten 42 off 23 balls in an unbroken 56-run stand for the sixth Epping wicket.