BENFLEET were able to celebrate two promotions on the same day as the first and third teams enjoyed success.

The first team went into their Shepherd Neame Essex League Division Three clash with bottom-of-the-table West Essex three points clear of third-placed Walthamstow.

And Benfleet did not surrender their advantage as they picked up a 169 run win at Woodside Park to clinch promotion.

The third team beat Brentwood’s sixth team by 163 runs to secure promotion from Shepherd Neame Essex League Fourth XI Division One East.

First team captain Rob Zammit, who has been at the club for more than a decade, felt it was a milestone day for Benfleet.

Zammit said: “It’s been a brilliant season.

“From the outset we wanted to improve on last year but we didn’t ever really start talking about promotion until midway through the season.

“For two teams to clinch promotion on the same day is massive.

“I have played for Benfleet for 13 or 14 years and in that time we have only got promoted once, so to get two promotions in one day was great.

“It was good to get promoted on the same day as the third team because I used to go to school with captain Dean Wootten, so that was special.

“All of the hard work from the players and people behind the scenes has paid off.”

And Wootten was pleased to play his part in the third team’s success.

Wootten said: “It feels fantastic to be able to have gained promotion in my first season as captain of the third team.

“We were dead and buried in the promotion race but Horndon were deducted points and we were able to take advantage and sneak into that second spot.

“It’s even more special that the promotion has been combined with our first team going up, in our club’s 70th anniversary.

“Rob and I have been good friends since the age of 11 so I’m delighted to see him take our first team into Division Two.”

Elsewhere in Division Three, Westcliff overcame champions Old Brentwoods.

A half-century from opening batsman Alexander Portugal proved pivotal as Westcliff were six wicket winners.

Basildon & Pitsea were able to round off a disappointing campaign by beating Epping by 82 runs.

Michael Gray scored 76 with the bat before Luke Daw took 5-21 off 9.4 overs.

Stanford le Hope defeated Ardleigh Green by three wickets, with Kalum Rasika Sampath finishing unbeaten on 159.