Stitson sets up Hordon

HORNDON-ON-THE-HILL 239-5

ORSETT 193-8

(DRAW)

Horndon gained minor revenge for their National Village Cup exit against their closest neighbours when Dave Stitson's latest major knock helped them to 11 points.

Stitson, one of the most reliable openers in the Shepherd Neame League, made 90 as Horndon compiled a strong total at their Recreation Ground.

Visitors Orsett were left, to some extent, hanging on, earning just five points after finishing 47 runs behind with only two wickets standing.

The draw lifts Horndon up a place to third from bottom in what, so far this season, has been the most closely-fought division in the county set-up.

Orsett remain third, despite having lost three of their seven games.

Horndon, who were without vice-captain Julian Vereker, hope to welcome him back for this weekend's game at bottom-of-the-table Walthamstow.

Not out - Richard Swile made an unbeaten 53 for Billericay as they beat Loughton

Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL Romesh takes Westcliff close

BRENTWOOD 251-6 declared

WESTCLIFF 251-9

(DRAW)

Romesh Paul's blistering 65 came desperately close to snatching victory for Westcliff as two runs off their final ball left them locked on equal scores with Brentwood.

Another fine knock from Steve Green (95) provided Westcliff's foundation, but Romesh's 40-ball innings revived them after they fell behind the run-rate.

Westcliff needed 180 off the final 20 of their 45 overs - then scored 11 of the 12 they needed to win from the last over.

Skipper Tim Wade said: "I was pleased with the batting, but we could do with a bit of work on our fielding.

"Brentwood's total was about 30 runs more than they should have got, and that was down to us in the field, although it was a very good wicket.

"We were always up against it in the run chase, but, having done so well to get so close, it was a shame not to go on and win."

Danny Hand's 124 had steered Brentwood to their healthy declaration total, with Wade and Green taking two wickets apiece.

Westcliff's slow-starting response ultimately left them with a draw and six points - compared to Brentwood's 12.

In a much-changing division, Westcliff have now slipped to second from bottom, even though only themselves, Hadleigh and leaders Chelmsford have yet to lose. Unbeaten Hadleigh on a roll

HADLEIGH 252-3 declared

ARDLEIGH GREEN 202-6

(DRAW)

One of Hadleigh's best batting displays in years was not quite enough to earn the win that would have lifted them into third place - just two weeks after they were languishing in the bottom two.

Promotion-seeking Hadleigh, who narrowly missed out on a place in the new Premier Division last season, revelled in outstanding innings from their top three.

Vice-captain Paul Corps, whose own revival has mirrored Hadleigh's, made 80 as he helped Glen Geeson compile a century opening stand.

Geeson's quickfire 66 received ideal support from Neil Goodman (92), enabling Hadleigh to declare at 4.23pm after 40 overs.

Ardleigh Green, who had lost the toss, faced 48 overs in reply, with Hadleigh using five bowlers.

Yet, despite 3-58 in 12 overs from Steve Brown, the home side had to settle for a draw.

Unbeaten Hadleigh, though, can take much solace from having had the upper hand in most of their seven games so far, albeit recording just one win.

They earned ten points on Saturday, twice as many as Ardleigh Green, who are a place below them, in sixth spot. Southend taste first defeat

SOUTHEND 201-5

UPMINSTER 204-5

(UPMINSTER WON)

Southend skipper Nigel Green was in no doubt where the strength of leaders Upminster lies after a run surge condemned the seasiders to their first defeat of the season.

Green said: "Their bowling's not bad but their batting's very strong.

"I can see that they get their wins by chasing targets and the next time we play them I'll have to set a stiffer declaration target.

"I felt we shouldn't really have lost, but I'm not too down. In games like this you have to be prepared to risk losing, and we picked up 11 points."

Upminster, who won the toss, saw Southend opener Brad Everett (45) and Steve Wathen (58 not out) find more than useful form as Southend declared after 52 overs.

The seasiders, in fact, then seemed to peg Upminster's reply down. However, home skipper Phil Hogg (74 not out) and Zimbabwean under-19 batsman Dino Ehbrahim (52) transformed Saturday's Divi-sion Three encounter.

Upminster, with two wickets down, needed 136 off the last 20 of their 41 overs - and got the runs with an over to spare.

Green - keen to take Southend back up to Division Two - said: "Their two main scorers played very well.

"Maybe we didn't bowl as well as we could, but that was at least partly because those two didn't let us."

Fifth-placed Southend's top wicket-taker was Jeremy Lawford, with 2-61 in 16 overs. Law's ton beefs up Billericay challenge

LOUGHTON 174 all out

BILLERICAY 175-1

(BILLERICAY WON)

Rampant Billericay underlined their Premier Division title bid as Danny Law's truly destructive century sealed their biggest win of the season against mid-table Loughton.

Loughton's wagging tail had lifted their total to a just about defendable one, but even that was perhaps partly due to some forward-planning from Billericay skipper Ian Pont.

He knew front-line bowler Andy Maxwell would be away next weekend, so he tried other options.

It meant that Loughton's last three players, Courtney (30), Wiseman (16 not out) and Laid (13), added belated support to Watson's 37.

Their mini-revival took the visitors from 106-7 to 174 all out in 63.2 overs.

Earlier, Pont (2-16) had bowled admirably, taking the first two wickets, while Jon Walford finished with 2-9.

In reply, Billericay's first wicket fell at 19, but victory quickly became inevitable.

Yet even Richard Swile's unbeaten 53 off 64 balls - an 82-minute knock with seven fours and a six - was eclipsed by Law's whirlwind 101 not out.

The Essex player faced 63 balls in 68 minutes, hit 15 fours and three sixes, and despatched three balls out of the ground so ruthlessly that they were never found.

Billericay's 20-point maximum was clinched after just 23.4 overs.

They closed the gap on leaders Saffron Walden to 15 points.

Saffron earned ten points after amassing 307-2 - with Giles Ecclestone undefeated on 181 - only for their visitors, Gidea Park & Romford, to hold on at 253-8, largely thanks to 84 not out from Scott Davies. Old Boys cruise by Basildon

BASILDON 186-6

OLD BRENTWOODS 187-4

(OLD BRENTWOODS WON)

Basildon skipper Mark Ayres rued losing the toss as Old Brentwoods won comfortably.

The new towners, put in, declared after reaching a vulnerable-looking total in 52 overs - the longest a side's innings can last without them losing all their batting points.

Basildon had begun slowly, but Ken Blowes, who was called back into the first XI as late as Saturday morning, made 27 and John Good 68, before he retired due to dehydration on a very hot day.

Brian Waterman hit 41 and Mo Isaacs, who was dismissed on the final ball, a brisk 21, including two sixes.

In fact, Isaacs and Basildon's fellow opening paceman Wayne Morgan then bowled well without reward.

Brentwood, though, clinched their 18 points after just 32 overs.

Ayres said: "If I'd won the toss it might have been a bit different, but at least we earned seven points."

Basildon and Benfleet (39 points) are joint second-bottom of Division Three.

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