OLD Southendian & Southchurch are Division Three champions following their seven-wicket victory over third-placed Walthamstow.

Title rivals Oakfield Parkonians saw their hopes of the title evaporate as their match at Basildon & Pitsea was abandoned, but they will seek consolation in being promoted to Division Two.

Hosts Walthamstow chose to bat but saw only four batsmen get into double figures before they were bowled out for 125 in 31.5 overs.

Ayaz Shah (59) was the only batsman above 20 runs as Michael Bunce (3-31), Jamie Robinson (3-27), Matthew Austin (2-8), Adam Rendall (1-11) and Adam Hunt (1-41) put the Old Boys in the driving seat.

Opener Max Craddock led the run chase with 43 and despite seeing Matthew Austin go for a duck, Chris Bunce (18) and then Robinson (37no) and Matt Wilson (9no) saw Southendian reply with 126-3 in a comfortable 27.1 overs.

Westcliff-on-Sea are joint third with Walthamstow going into the final match of the season after picking up 25 points following their 69-run home in over West Essex.

Openers Charlie Lockhart (73) and Peter Barnes (57) set Westcliff on their way.

And it was just as well as Jack Stead (36) was the only other batsman into double figures as the hosts reached 194-6 declared after 52 overs against an attack led by Sajid Mehmood (3-41).

But Westcliff’s bowlers left the result in no doubt as they skittled their visitors out for just 125 in 37.4 overs.

Shahbaz Sattar claimed 3-25, while there were braces for Graham Cox (2-18), Tom Baker (2-19) and Callum Pastfield (2-17), with skipper Chris Gladwin taking 1-37.

Opener Mehmood top-scored with 53 for West Essex but only two other batsmen got into double figures at Chalkwell Park.

Benfleet picked up eight points from their drawn match at Epping.

The hosts were bowled out for 149 runs in 48.1 overs, while Benfleet's reply reached 88-6.

Basildon’s match against Oakfield Parkonians came to a conclusion in the 15th over of the hosts’ reply when rain at Mopsies Park forced it to be abandoned.

Oakfield had declared on 220-9 after 43.1 overs with Faisal Bhatti leading the charge with 61 runs. Gary Ayres claimed 4-35 and Dean Bedford 2-39 for Basildon.

The hosts lost Rob Davies for a duck but Bedford (22no) and Ben Munday (41no) got Basildon’s reply to 64-1 when the heavens opened.