Hadleigh and Thundersley 178-a/o
Loughton 181-0
(Division Two)

LOUGHTON dragged themselves back to the league summit at the most crucial point of the season.

They also all-but secured their promotion back to Division One following this emphatic ten-wicket victory at Hadleigh.

The Uplands outfit travelled to the Recreation Ground in second spot, knowing that, with Walthamstow breathing down their necks, nothing but a win would do.

And their bowling attack certainly delivered after the hosts elected to open the batting.

The prolific Kelby Pickering was soon taking care of the top order and accounted for the first three batsman for just 39 runs between them.

His partner, David Kilbey-Brown didn’t take much time to get his arm in either, as he wiped out the next three with the willow for just 18.

Some late fight from Richard Revell (86) did offer the hosts hope, but in the end his fine innings only served to add some respectability to Hadleigh’s score.

That is because the tail could only manage just 18 runs between the final four, with skipper Mike Hughes (2-1) helping himself to excellent figures from his 1.3 over spell.

That certainly supplemented the excellent early work put in by Pickering (4-35) and Kilbey-Brown (3-53).

Loughton’s top order pairing of Hughes and Richard Gymer moved aside to let Ritchie Bann and Gareth James get proceedings underway.

And the pair certainly didn’t disappoint as Bann struck a masterful undefeated 77 and James a brilliant unbroken 82 in a match winning partnership.

This win coupled with Fives defeat at Shenfield put Loughton four points above them and Walthamstow, who are both tied on second spot on 228 points.

And with the pair facing each other this weekend Loughton know that anything other than a complete disaster now against Harold Wood will see them promoted.