ORSETT & Thurrock lost their top-of-the-table Shepherd Neame Essex Cricket League Division One clash with Upminster as they went down by 76 runs to the league leaders.

Orsett are second in the table but are 31 points adrift of the top dogs following Saturday’s defeat at Upminster Park.

The hosts elected to bat after winning the toss and posted 279-8 from their 50-over allocation.

All of the Upminster batsmen chipped in, with nine of the 10 who batted getting into double figures.

There were half-centuries from openers Shahbaz Butt (61) and Shafiq Rahman (50), while Louis Pickering contributed 44 further down the order.

Shahid Khan fared best with the ball for Osett, taking 4-53, while Mark Pavitt, skipper Paul Bennett, Muhammad Rahim and Daniel Laird took a wicket each.

The visitors’ reply started promisingly as openers Bennett walloped 77 before being caught by Harry Jenkins and Umar Ayub hit 16 before Will Chuter caught him.

Laird and Mark Pavitt went cheaply and Kirk Laws (13) and William Gibbon (30) steadied the innings before two more wickets fell for 10 runs.

Shahid Khan (15no) and George Pavitt (30) added a valuable 45 at the end before Orsett were all out for 203 from 46 overs.