After a lovely day out at the seaside last Saturday, the 1's face a stiffer challenge this week against a Bentley side who are already virtually in the last chance saloon when it comes to a challenge for one of the two promotion spots.

Ash Parmenter's men will no doubt be looking at July as a pivotal month, featuring as it does three games against sides below them in the table followed by a visit to Springfield, a trip which didn't seem to phase the Coxtie Green men like it did every other Mid-Essex side.

For the 1's, who sit in 10th currently, a top half finish and a place in Division Three still remains very much the goal, but anything we can pick up on Saturday will be a bonus with successive games against the other sides in the 9-12th positions to follow in July, games which look likely to be season-defining for Messenger's men.

We welcome back Prab Vijayaratnam to bolster the seam bowling ranks, Jordan Calverley taking the gloves with Jordan Harris absent and Juber Rukon is rewarded for a good run in the lower sides with a promotion to replace Afzal Hussain, who is in Bangladesh for a couple of weeks.

The 2's call upon Bobby Granger and Arayaman Parida after good showings in the 3s last week as they host promotion challengers Benfleet at the club and the 3's host South Woodford 4's on the Annex looking for a repeat of their demolition of Fives last time out, as they seek to maintain a promotion challenge. Andy Livett is available, so the smart money is on Elsom's men keeping rolling along.

The Sunday side host Chelmsford on the front on Sunday, always a challenge and Mark Bird's men will be looking to bounce back after successive defeats chasing very gettable totals in what should be (weather permitting) the auburn marauder's 400th game for the club.

1s at Bentley - Coxtie Green Road, CM14 5PN (number of dogs allowed, zero)

T Ivory
G Godfrey
J Calverley+
L Jones
J Rukon
S Ross
K Messenger*
L Ramduth
P Vijayaratnan
P Singh
D Forward

2s v Benfleet (Front)

H Jackson
G Sleight
R Sharma*
A Ali
K Ali
L Mostra
K Kalyan
A Raza
A Parida
J Barwick
B Granger

3s v South Woodford 4s (Annex)

A Livett
M Rooke
D Johnson
A Ahmed
S Zafar
L Thoufick
M Choudhry
J Gibson
B Atkins
O Elsom*
P Atkins

Sunday v Chelmsford (Front)

G Godfrey
T Ivory
MLP Bird*
J Calverley
S Barwick
J Rukon
J Harris
K Messenger
L Jones
P Singh
J Barwick