Upminster, Billericay, Harold Wood, Fives & Heronians all win

Upminster earned bragging rights over Gidea Park & Romford in their Hamro Foundation Essex League Division One derby on Saturday.

Captain Adam Wheater chose to bat and saw Pulkit Gupta (37) put on 81 with new overseas signing Beau Webster (41).

But the hosts slipped to 111-4 as Shavawn Cunningham struck twice, with former Essex staffer Wheater falling for 10.

James Evans, facing his former club, dominated an 84-run stand with Muhammad Ahmad (37), before falling for 53 off 57 balls and Tom Daniels (30) helped lift the total to 256-9.

Cunningham (4-49) was the pick of Park’s bowling, as Hasitha Nirmal nabbed 3-35, but the visitors slipped to 14-2 in reply as Ollie Todd struck an early double blow.

Captain Jamal Francis (36) and Mahmad Alikhail (59) shared 92, before Shafiq Rahman (2-38) and Ahmad (4-47) made inroads to leave them 145-8.

And Cunningham was left stranded on 56 from 50 balls, having hit two sixes and seven fours, as Upminster secured a 65-run victory.

Billericay claimed a thrilling two-run win over Ilford at Valentines Park, meanwhile.

After choosing to bat, they saw Arjun Bhardwaj (41) put on 66 for the second wicket with Matthew Bell (44).

And Louis Barrell then played a key innings, hitting a six and seven fours in his 70 from 76 balls, sharing 70 for the ninth wicket with captain Ross Poulton (25 not out).

That helped Billericay see out their 50 overs and close on 234-9, which proved just enough for victory.

Poulton (3-25), Ellis Pickering, Bhardwaj and Abdullah Farooq combined to reduce the hosts to 125-6, before a 57-run stand between Hamza Muhammad (31) and Gagan Bhogal gave Ilford hope.

Pickering (2-51) and Farooq (2-35) took further wickets, with a run out leaving the home side nine down and Bhogal finished unbeaten on 45 as they came up short on 232-9.

Harold Wood beat Shenfield by six wickets after dismissing the visitors for just 101.

Evan Ackerman (29) top scored, as Daniel Carter (3-11), Taqi Abbas (2-4), Rahil Zaman (2-22) and Praveen Kumar (2-22) shared the wickets for Wood.

Abbas (30) put on 53 with Dhruv Talati (32), before Oliver Castell (3-22) hit back with the ball, but Wood reached their target inside 25 overs.

Fives & Heronians beat Belhus by two wickets, after seeing the hosts post 244-8.

New-ball pairing Mehad Khan (3-54) and Ross Ter Braak (2-45) had most success for Fives, before Essex staffer Feroze Khushi hit a superb unbeaten 150 from 134 balls, with two sixes and 13 fours, to steer them to their target.

Captain Jake Poulter was the next highest scorer with 18.

Old Brentwoods slumped to a 113-run loss at Epping, who were dismissed for 220.

Umaad Sultan (3-22) and Baber Choudhary (3-26) shone with the ball for Brentwoods, but they collapsed to 46-9 before last man Fawad Mullahzadah hit an unbeaten 42 to take them to 107.

Abdulrahim Mulla (5-16) did most of the damage, a week after taking 8-8 when dismissing Shenfield for just 17.