Second XI Premier Division

A quick-fire 85 from Ishmael Dar helped Wanstead and Snaresbrook Seconds get their season up and running with an eight-wicket win over Southend-on-Sea EMT Seconds.

Opting to field first, Wanstead had their hosts at 23 for two.

However, 61 from David Colwill (61) and Steven Johnson (49 not out) went a long way towards rescuing the innings for the away side.

Yet Nabeel Aziz (four for 40) enjoyed a significant say in proceedings as Southend closed on 198 for nine.

The Wanstead response was quick and ruthless, getting home in 32.1 overs. Dar (85) and Mahesh Velani (32) opened with intent before Milan Patel (55) came in to steer the hosts to 199 for two.

James Hill smashed his way to 117 to lead Chingford Seconds to a comfortable 96-run victory over Woodford Wells Seconds.

Opener Hill paved the way for victory, with supplementary knocks by Mitan Patel (28) and Malik Kashif Jamal (59 not out) key in a total of 255 for nine before declaration.

Farhad Uddin did his bit to restrict Chingford’s total, finishing with six for 52, but it ultimately proved fruitless.

Wells’ reply started encouragingly with openers Alex Sharp (24) and Tomas Corbyn (56) making some ground on the home side’s score.

Robert Phillips then reached 40 before he was accounted for by Matthew Smith (four for 49) and then Richard MacGregor (four for 41) helped clear out the tail as Wells were dismissed for 159.

South Woodford Seconds were punished for a disappointing batting display as they slumped to a nine-wicket loss at Chelmsford Seconds.

The visitors put up a paltry total of 130, with only Indika Wickramaratne (43 not out) providing a score of any note.

Chelmsford then gleefully gave chase, with Paul Jones (39), Jack Moss (39 not out) and Gary Chidley (42 not out) making light work of reaching 133 for one to secure the points.

Second XI Division One

Loughton Seconds are still searching for their first win of the season after suffering a three-wicket loss at home to Ilford Seconds.

Having won the toss Loughton opted to bat first. After losing opener Naveed Ali for just one, they gradually built through Umer Choudary (46) and Asim Aslam (64) to reach a respectable total of 230 before opting to declare.

However, the decision to get stuck into the visitors early on did not pay off as Salman Rana’s unbeaten knock of 104 paved the way to victory for Ilford.

Abdul Nasir took three wickets but at a cost of 71 runs, whilst Shyam Kharva (two for 54) also saw his efforts fall short as the visitors made it to 231 for seven.

Fives and Heronians Seconds were trounced by ten wickets at Orsett Seconds after being torn apart by the hosts’ attack.

Only Graham Neary (18), Ross Summers (13) and James McKay (10) reached double figures in a total of 74 all out.

Damien King (four for 16) and George Pavitt (four for 32) enjoyed a field day with the ball for Orsett and the hosts never needed to get out of first gear as they reached the necessary 75 without loss.

Second XI Division Two

Zain Saleem took four for 15 as West Essex Seconds were undone by their poor display with the bat in a three-wicket defeat by Harold Wood Seconds.

The top of the West Essex order spectacularly failed to fire and it was only a flurry of runs from Saleem (24), Sohaib Jan (29) and Atif Rabbani (25) which saw the home side make it to 125 before being put out of their misery.

And yet despite their meagre total, Saleem gave West Essex hope as he set about dismantling the Wood attack.

However, 40 from Glen Wooding and 38 from Peter Clarke was just about enough to get the away side to 126 with three wickets in hand.

Second XI Division Three

Epping Seconds remain bottom of the table and without a point after suffering an 85-run loss at Westcliff-on-Sea Seconds.

The home side put up 212 for six before declaring; Adnan Khan (52 not out) and Neil Foster (48) top scored as Sam Wilson took three for 46.

Epping never looked likely to reach that target and with Anil Reynold the highest scorer on just 26, the away side were always up against it before being skittled out for 127 thanks largely to David Bullen’s return of three for two.

Brutal spells of bowling from Eshun Kalley and Jai Patel ensured Oakfield Parkonians Seconds crushed ten-man Woodford Green Seconds by 184 runs.

Put into bat, Parks set their stall out with Alan Bouquet (60) and Sachin Vara (38) helping the home side bludgeon their way to a total of 245 for nine.

Woodford’s Satwinder Chagger took five wickets but at a cost of 78 runs from his 16 overs, whilst Sayaad Hussain finished with three for 82.

The Woodford Green reply was soon over. It took until Asad Ijaz arrived at number seven for a visiting batsman to even reach double figures.

With Kalley (three for six) and Patel (two for three) to the fore, Parks ruthlessly mopped up to remove their guests for 184.