THERE is a new name at the top of the T Rippon Mid-Essex Cricket League after Springfield suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Chignal.
The previously unbeaten Springfield had Chignal in trouble at 109-8 after Fazal Rahman had top scored with 36, but a last-wicket stand of 34 took them to 159 all out.
Simon Dance finished with 5-23 for Springfield, but his side made a stuttering start to their reply.
Jimmy Symonds hit 53 to give Springfield a chance, but with Tom Bird taking 5-23, they were bowled out for 147, giving Chignal their first win of the season by 12 runs.
And Bentley took advantage of Springfield's slip to go top.
Asked to bat first, the home side made 288-7, with Phil Coleman top-scoring with 72, Greg Larkin making 67, and 62 from Damien Larrett.
And in reply, they bundled Old Chelmsfordians out for 120, with Matt Coleman taking 3-27 and Steve Flack 3-33.
Elsewhere, Stock chased 185 to beat Rayleigh by three wickets, High Roding beat Aythorpe Roding by 138 runs thanks to 90 from Reece Hussain and 5-47 from Mel Hussain, while Hatfield Peverel bowled out Great Baddow for 115 and chased their target for the loss of five men.
In Division One, Thurrock maintained their 100 per cent start with 43-run win over Ingatestone, while Rettendon kept up the pressure with a 39-run triumph at Little Waltham.
Burnham overcame Herongate by 18 runs in a low-scoring encounter.
Batting first, the visitors carded 149, with number nine Robin Whittaker top scoring with 35.
Herongate made a steady start to 47-2, but then lost four quick wickets to slip to 58-6.
Being two men short, the visitors only needed two more wickets to win and although Chris Turrel (26) and Stock (44) steadied the ship, Burnham prevailed, with Whittaker taking 5-55.
Writtle beat Great Totham by six wickets after bowling out the visitors for 90, while Little Baddow trounced South Weald by 211 runs, skittling their opponents for just 66.
Results: Premier Division: Rayleigh 184 all out lost to Stock 185-7 by three wickets; Chignal 159 (Rahman 36, Dance 5-23) beat Springfield 147 (Symonds 53, Bird 5-35) by 12 runs; Great Baddow 115 (Gunalan 57, Cleary 5-26) lost to Hatfield Peverel 116-5 (Everett 45 not out) by five wickets; Bentley 288-7 beat Old Chelmsfordians 120 all out by 168 runs; High Roding 291-7 (R Hussain 90, Palmer 56) beat Aythorpe Roding 153 (M Hussain 5- 47) by 138 runs.
Division One: Great Totham 88 (Cook 4-23, Anderson 3-18) lost to Writtle 90-4 (Hughes 35no) by six wickets; Burnham 149 (Whittaker 35, Turrel 3-51) beat Herongate 131 (Stock 44, Whittaker 5-55) by 18 runs; Rettendon 182-9 beat Little Waltham 143 by 39 runs; Little Baddow 277-6 (Cole 91, Golding 44, Sharma 3-63) beat South Weald (Newton 5-14) by 211 runs; Thurrock 248-8 beat Ingatestone 205 by 43 runs.
Division Two: Stock II 205-7 (Martin 66, King 37) beat East Hanningfield & Great Bursted 198-9 (Bassett 47, Stevens 47, Raeburn 5-53, Wharram 4-34) by seven runs; Brookweald 192 (Yausaf 48, Simmons 3-36) beat Rankins 120 by 72 runs. Havering-Atte-Bower 229 beat Bentley II 200- 9 by 29 runs; Canvey Island 256-9 (Casson 77, Hannah 4-56, Brenson 4-66) beat Hatfield Peverel II 108, (B Picking 37, Downey 3-38) by 148 runs. Rayleigh Fairveiw 164-5 (Collins 74, J Fitzwalter 3-26) beat Great Waltham 157 all out, (N Dhanjal 31, J Lawson 6-39) by seven runs.
Division Three: Broomfield 236-7 (O'Riordan 71, McIntosh 85) beat Southend on Sea and EMT 197-8 by 39 runs; HACC 212-8 (Humphries 51) beat Rayleigh II 105 (Crane 3-11) by 107 runs; Springfield II 161 beat Woodham Mortimer 112-9 by 49 runs; Eastwood 194-9 (Deeming 42, Robinson 38, Storey 4-47, Moon 3-30) beat Galleywood 129 (Bennett 50, Reeve 38) by 65 runs); Rainham 228 beat Tillingham 103 by 125 runs.
Division Four: Rayne 213-9 (Sainsbury 57, Dawson 44 beat Ongar 108 (Ayres 69, May 3-34) by 105 runs; Gt Baddow II 120 ( Clarke 53no, Marshall 3-20, Woolfenden 3-24) lost to Terling 121/6 (Taylor 40) by four wickets; Springfield III 180 (Vince 57, Cook 41no, Yasin 3-40, Baines 3-46) lost to Purleigh 181/5 (Bowles 39) by five wickets; OC's II 254/3 (Bowerman 87, Barnstone 64no) beat Lt Baddow II 206/10 (Mewis 104, Barnstone 4-48) by 48 runs; Willow Herbs 275-3 (Harris 103no, Jones 51) beat Boreham 78 (Walsh 6-18) by 197 runs.
Division Five: Writtle II 244/3 lost to Gt Totham II 250/3 by seven wickets; High Easter 169 (Spalding 74, Kendrick 5-20) lost to Gt Waltham 173-5 by five wickets; Thurrock II 207/8 (Henry 70no, Fenner 3-26, Elliott 3-48) beat Ingatestone II 119/6 (Elliott 33no) by 88 runs; Havering A-B 182 Gentle 55, French 54, Hurley 43) beat Sandon Sports 171/9 (Pearce 36, Mills 6-33, Lewington 3-46) by 11 runs; Lt Waltham II 145 (Jones 3-43) lost to Rankins II 146/9 (Warner 50, Nelson 4-38) by one wicket.
Division Six: Rayleigh III 169/9 lost to Aythorpe Rodin II 170/4 by six wickets; Rayleigh Fairview II 250/4 lost to Danbury 251/1 by nine wickets; St Johns Billericay beat Bluehouse by walkover - Bluehouse have withdrawn from the league; Brookweald II 265/3 (Ekers 106no, Watson 68) beat Rettenden II 186/6 (Fillary 69) by 79 runs.
Division Seven: Hornchurch Athletic II 175-8 (Gill 64, Stock 4-44) beat Hockley 1st 174-7 (Paige 83, Oneill 4-34) by one run; Mountnessing 126-8 (Dziadulewicz 3-36) lost to Marconi 127-3 (Chapman 63no) by 7 wickets; Eastwood II 122-10 (Heath 31, P Booker 4-43, Malik 4-36) lost to Roxwell Blues 123-5 (Ankush 43no) by 5 wickets; South Weald II 170-9 beat Bentley III 165 by five runs; Herongate II 177 (Wicks 49, Patrick 40, Hodges 38) lost to South Woodham Ferrers 181-7 (Stuart 57, Broken-brow 42) by three wickets.
Division Eight: Burnham Sports II 104 lost to Woodham Mortimer II 105-6 (Beames 58) by four wickets; Southend on Sea and EMT II 204-7 (Ward 99, Ross 48) beat Old Chelmsfordians III 148 by 56 runs; Tillingham II 112 beat Rayleigh IV 89 by 23 runs; E Hanningfield and Great Burstead II 115-10 (Chaudhry 55, Feraday 29, Cronjager 4-26, McDermott 4-2) lost to Stock III 117-5 (Gornby 47, Lewis 40, Box 4-21) by five wickets; Terling II 179-8 lost to Great Wakering 180-6 by four wickets.
Division Nine: Rayleigh Fairview III 79 lost to Rainham II 81-4 by six wickets; Boreham II 147-8 (Healey 56, Harvey 3-26) lost to Willow Herb II 149-3 (G Grumpt 61no) by seven wickets; Broomfield II 247-4 (Turner 100, Broyd 49 no, Simmons 3-71) beat Navestock & Ardleigh Green II 82-7 (J Need 5-9) by 165 runs. Canvey Island II 118 (Burrill 49no) lost to Chignal II 119-4 (Lee 47, Shah 47no) by six wickets; Rankins III 186-7 lost to Springfield IV 187-6 by four wickets.
Division Ten: Great Baddow III 117 (Smith 32, Leonard 3-21) lost to Eastwood III 120-0 (Tindall 65no, Roake 33no) by ten wickets; Thurrock III 184-8 lost to Rayleigh V 186-6 (Catling 82) by four wickets; Wickham 174 (Street 5-26) beat St Andrews 173 (Girkin 60) by one run; South Woodham Ferrers III 201-6 (Cox 54no) beat Galleywood II 97 (Day 51, Hatcher 4-30) by 104 runs; St Johns Billericay II 106 (Spooner 34, Santy 4-20) lost to Havering-atte-Bower III 107-5 (Stanbridge 40no, Lately 3-24) by five wickets.
Division 11: Old Chelmsfordians IV 113 (Bull 61, MacMillan 5-24) lost to Wickham II 118-0 (Long 69no, Rodgers 35no) by ten wickets; Bentley IV 96 (Crispin 41) lost to Little Baddow III 97-1 by nine wickets. Rayne II 99 lost to Hornchurch III 100-4 by six wickets; Eastwood IV 183-5 lost to Great Totham III 186-6 by four wickets; Thurrock IV 83 lost to Rayleigh VI 85-4 by six wickets.
