Old Brentwoods moved to within touching distance of the Shepherd Neame Essex League Division Three title with success at Woodford Green.

Put into bat by the home side, they slipped to 74-3 after Ramesh Gunalan, Nazim Hussain (26) and captain Baber Choudhary (31) had all made starts.

Khalid Sarwar put on 82 for the fourth wicket with Abid Alaracu, who fell two runs short of a half-century after hitting eight fours.

And Sarwar added another 55 for the fifth wicket with Minhaz Bhad, before eventually falling for 66 off 69 balls, having hit a six and 10 fours.

Bhad was unbeaten on 35, from 37 deliveries, as the leaders closed on 240-6, with Mohammed Hasan (3-46) and Hussnain Kazmi (2-41) sharing most of the wickets to fall.

And Green lost wickets at regular intervals in reply, after captain Hamaad Sayyed and opening partner Kazmi (33) put on 41, to fall to a 67-run defeat.

Ashish Rai (38) and Saad Ijaz (35) both made starts for the hosts, but Bhad (5-21) proved the pick of the Brentwoods bowling, with Sarwar (2-33) and Gunalan (2-43) nabbing braces to leave them 37 points clear of second-placed Benfleet with two games remaining.