Grant Smith and Robin Whittaker both played pivotal roles as Burnham Sports gained a critical 49-run win over Ingatestone.
The victory was not enough to lift Sports out of the bottom two in T.Rippon Mid-Essex League first division but gives them renewed hope of beating the drop. Little Waltham are bottom and then the next five teams are divided by just 23 points, which is effectively one win.
Sports were boosted by the return of Ali Allchin and Fuad Ahmed before a ball had been bowled.
The latter, who is observing Ramadan, instantly made an impact, sharing in an opening partnership of 70 with Dominic Whittaker (44).
Sports built on that foundation through Joel Whittaker (30) and Smith (62). At 149 for two, a score of 250-plus and maximum batting points looked firmly on the cards but the home side then lost their way and finished on 218 for nine. Jack Silvester finished unbeaten on 20.
Robin Whittaker and Allchin failed to distinguish themselves with the bat but the speedy pair made amends after tea.
Whittaker struck in the first over and went on to take five for 40, while Allchin finished with three for 30 off nine overs. Whittaker now has 27 wickets this season.
David Bridge and Paul Green, the stand-in skipper, shared the other wickets to fall as Ingatestone were eventually all out for 169.
“Following our disappointing performance at Writtle the previous week, it was good to see the team respond with some fighting spirit and we hope to take this positive momentum to Little Baddow next week,” Green said.
Meanwhile, Burnham’s 2nds have slipped into the bottom two in division eight after a six-wicket loss away to Great Wakering’s first team.
Wakering, the leaders, have lost just one game all summer but Sports looked like extending them after batting first and reaching 132 for four.
However, after the in-form Neil Wade had been bowled for 49, they lost five wickets for eight runs and ended up with just 150 to defend. Ed King and Tim Lornie managed 40 between them.
Roger Perrin, who had scored 32 the previous week, and Greg Campion each took two wickets when Wakering replied but their efforts merely delayed the inevitable.
This Saturday, the 2nd XI entertain Southend Trojans.