CRICKET: STANFORD le Hope Cricket Club captain Lee Knight admits the hard work starts now after securing promotion on Saturday.

The first team won Shepherd Neame Essex League Division Three to ensure an immediate return to Division Two following relegation in 2013.

But Knight said the team is determined not to rest on their laurels so they can hit the ground running next season.

"Our aim this season was to get promoted and winning the championship was a nice bonus," said Knight.

"Last time we went up we had a really good year and I think we finished fourth.

"It would be good to do that again but the hard work starts now and we are looking to do a lot of stuff off the field to make sure we are ready next season."

Stanford signed off with an eight-wicket win over a depleted Basildon & Pitsea team at the Stanford Rec.

Knight put the visitors into bat and saw them bowled out for 97.

Ross Poulton took 5-34 and Adam Knight 4-20 with the other wicket falling to a run out.

With most of the Basildon team at a wedding, their side mainly comprised second and third team players, with openers Ross Casson (49) and James Casson (16) the only batsmen into double figures.

Stanford lost opening batsman Martin Leslie for a duck but his opening partner Martin Leslie got 27.

Poulton scored an unbeaten 53, including the winning runs, and Knight 18 not out as Stanford replied with 100-2.

Throughout the match, Stanford were getting updates on how their promotion rivals Harlow Town and Old Southendian were faring at Southchurch Park.

That match finished in a draw which meant Harlow were promoted as runners-up.

Meanwhile, Stanford’s second team were soundly beaten in their visit to already promoted Hutton in the last game of the season.

Stanford skipper Drew Robinson won the toss and didn’t hesitate in choosing to bat first with opening batsmen Alex Ellis (27) and Jordan Dodd (12) making watchful but steady progress against the Hutton bowlers.

James Humphrys (25) and Duncan Page (23) also managed to make starts, but a familiar middle order collapse left Stanford stranded.