An emphatic 120-run victory over Chingford kept Wanstead & Snaresbrook’s title hopes alive ahead of this Saturday’s big showdown with leaders Hornchurch.

Wanstead trail the Premier Division table toppers by 14 points, but with two matches remaining in the season the trip to Harrow Lodge Park could prove decisive.

Having chosen to bat first, Wanstead were in some trouble at 79-5 but what proved to be the pivotal stand of the match helped them reach 219-8 before skipper Joe Ellis-Grewal chose to declare.

The captain played a significant role in that partnership, making 67, while Adnan Akram scored 59 as the pair put on 134 for the sixth wicket to turn the game in Wanstead’s favour.

Opener Arfan Akram (27) was the only other batsman to make more than 20, as Ben MacGregor enjoyed a good day with the ball, taking 5-49 from his 14.5 overs.

However, MacGregor was to be outshone in the field by Aron Nijjar as Chingford were rolled over for 99 in 30.5 overs.

Nijjar claimed 6-38 from 13 overs, while Zain Shahzad weighed in with 3-21 from 11, as Chingford capitulated from 24-1 to 29-7.

The game would have been over even sooner had it not been for an 32 from MacGregor, while tail-enders Matthew Quinn (25) and Alexander Shortt (13) also delayed the inevitable.

Ilford were unable to halt Hornchurch’s title push as they slumped to a 141-run loss.

The writing was on the wall once the leaders had amassed 323-5 declared from 52.3 overs and then bowled put their opponents for 182.

Much of the damage was done by opener Ronnie Saunders, who crashed 101 from just 72 deliveries, while Hornchurch number three Billy Gordon also reached three figures as he finished undefeated on 100.

Roy Smith also scored freely, making 57 from 41, as Kalpesh Chandracant took 2-49 and Mohammed Akhtar also claimed two wickets, but at the expense of 80 runs.

Ilford were in early trouble at 8-2 and never looked like threatening the target, although there were some useful contributions with the bat.

Harsh Kumar (30) and Shane Snater (28) both got in, but their top score was to come from tail-ender Harris Ayub (49) as former England spinner Monty Panesar (4-67) took four wickets lower down the order. Mehad Khan returned the best figures of 4-52.

Buckhurst Hill are one point clear at the top of Division One after defeating Upminster by 111 runs.

Hendro Puchert was the star performer for the promotion chasers, leading from the front with 96 and then taking three wickets to give Hill a 13-point cushion over third-placed Belhus.

Prashant Chand-Bajpai weighed in with 43 and Ricky Reynolds made an unbeaten 41 as Buckhurst made 245-4 in 47 overs.

Apart from Farid Butt’s 30 and an unbeaten 30 from Nabeel Aziz, no Upminster batsman delayed Hill’s victory quest for too long as they were bowled out for 134.

Puchert took 3-34 from his nine overs, but Usman Sahar was to be Hill’s leading wicket taker with 4-41 from 10.3 overs.

Hutton are hot on Hill’s heels after they thumped Woodford Wells by nine wickets.

Wells’ decision to bat first was to backfire as only two batsmen made any notable contributions en route to being dismissed for 168.

Opener Joe Johnson helped Woodford get off to a promising start as he made 39 before he was the fourth man out with the score on 102, but after losing two more quick wickets it was largely down to the efforts of skipper Jonathan Gaffney (36) that his side were able to reach their eventual total.

Hutton encountered few problems in pursuit of victory, with Rehan Iqbal (1-28) the only bowler to have any success as he had Alex Tregett caught for 13.

Fellow opener Vivian Paver was in fine form, making an unbeaten 103 from 94 balls, and Julian Whetstone ended on 49 not out as the target was reached in 31.4 overs.

Loughton are all but there in Division Two after a seven-wicket success at Old Southendian & Southchurch left them on the brink of promotion.

The leaders have a 42-point advantage over third-placed Wickford, who they meet in this weekend’s penultimate match of the season, and only the unlikeliest circumstances will deny them a place in the second tier next year.

Loughton didn’t have it all their own way though, as 68 from Ahmed Khawaja, Ali Raza’s 44 and 32 not out from Kyle Smith helped Old Southendian to reach 203-7 in 50 overs.

Bilal Butt was the pick of the Loughton attack with 3-48 while Jordan Ramsden claimed 2-20.

It took the leaders just 35 overs to secure their latest victory for the loss of three wickets, with Bilaal Anwar leading from the top of the order with 90. Umar Choudhry and Butt then got the job done, finishing unbeaten on 31 and 35 respectively.

Fives and Heronians occupy the second promotion place, but they were to be left frustrated as Oakfield Parkonians hung on for the draw with one wicket remaining.

Although Fives lost both their openers relatively cheaply, Charles Allen’s 53 began to turn the tide in the home side’s favour before the damage was really done by the middle-order pair of captain Jake Poulter (92) and Lakshan Rodrigo, who top-scored with 107.

Their contributions helped Fives declare on 310 for six from 49.4 overs after Selvam Ramasamy had finished as Oakfield’s leading wicket-taker with 3-88.

Although Dhruv Patel (30) and Ramasamy (35) did trouble the scorers, Amila Peiris (2-51) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (3-21) made light work of the rest of the top and middle order to keep Fives firmly in control.

Shawn Tuitt (3-26) then took three tail-end wickets but Paresh Kalley was to remain unbeaten on 40 as Parkonians held on for the draw.

Wickford are 10 points behind Fives after they edged to a nine-run victory over South Woodford.

Three wickets apiece from Saihaj Jaspal (3-34), Bradley Copper (3-37) and Jake Mcmullen (3-53) had South Woodford firmly in the game as they dismissed their opponents for 172 after Dean Etchells had top-scored with 44 and opener Chris Westwood made 39.

South Woodford looked well set as Copper helped his side pass the three-figure mark for the loss of two wickets. Although a further two batsmen departed, the opener had struck 13 fours and a six when he departed for 84 with the score on 135.

With Copper’s wicket went Woodford’s best chance of victory as they came up short after getting within single figures of getting the job done.

Walthamstow are 17 points off the promotion places in Division Three after getting the better of Epping by 64 runs.

Opener Rory Knox’s 78 and 56 not out apiece from Asif Bala and Nick Porter enabled Stow to declare on 243-3 after 42 overs.

Although Manan Patel made an unbeaten 81 for Epping, he lacked any substantive support as Bala (2-13), James Fenn (2-26) and Dipesh Patel (2-46) took two wickets each to help dismiss them for 179.

There was disappointment for fourth-placed Woodford Green, who went down to a 67-run defeat to leaders Old Brentwoods.

Mohammed Hasan took 3-46 and Hussnain Kazmi (2-41) as Brentwoods made 240-6.

In reply, Kazmi (33), Saad Ijaz (35) and Ashish Rai (38) all got going, but Minhaz Bhad (5-21) proved to be Green’s leading tormentor as they were bowled out for 173.

West Essex’s miserable season continued as after making a mere 69-9, Westcliff-On-Sea eased to victory at 73-2 in 14.2 overs.