Hampstead’s hopes of retaining their title are looking slimmer by the week after they suffered their second successive defeat, leaving them 29 points behind the leaders in the Premier Division of the Middlesex County Cricket League.

Captain Steve Clark, Mubasher Hassan and Freddie Fairhead all scored half-centuries as Hampstead set a target of 276, but Ealing’s first-wicket pair of Mylo Wilkin and Oliver Wilkin made 209 to lead their side to a seven-wicket triumph at 279-3.

Clark was asked to bat at Lymington Road and, although Rob Jones (15) and Ben Scott (0) both departed with the score on 27, opener Clark shared a 103-run third-wicket partnership with Freddie Fairhead.

Fairhead perished on 50, stumped off Chris Peploe, and Clark went on to make 80 before being caught behind off the same bowler, leaving Hampstead 159-4.

The hosts enjoyed another profitable partnership as Ragheb Aga and Mubasher Hassan added 91, with Hassan hitting 60 off 29 balls – including six sixes – before becoming Peploe’s third consecutive victim.

Charlie Cooke was caught behind off his second ball for a duck as wicketkeeper Mylo Wilkin claimed a fourth dismissal, and Peploe then prised out Aga (41) and Tom Green (9) to finish with figures of 5-107 .

Ishan Ratnayake (3-83) ended the Hampstead innings with the penultimate ball of the 60th over, leaving Hampstead all out for 275.

It was a good total but Ealing made light work of the chase as the Wilkin brothers reached 209 without loss.

Mylo Wilkin hit 93 off 82 balls and Oliver Wilkin smashed 113 off 104 balls before they were both dismissed by Hassan (3-73), who also removed Luke Stoughton (22). But by then it was 257-3 and Ahmad Elech (26 not out) and David Holt (9no) finished the job after 44.3 overs.

Meanwhile, debutant Ellie Mitchell starred with bat and ball as Hampstead’s ladies beat Chesham by two wickets, securing another thrilling victory in Division A of the North London Women’s League.

Opening bowlers Jen Heppell and Sian Culley both took 2-15 off six overs and Mitchell only conceded four runs off four economical overs as the Lymington Road side restricted their opponents to 77 runs.

Chesham had their own fast bowlers and an early batting collapse gave Hampstead’s middle order some work to do – but the ninth-wicket pair of Mitchell (26 not out) and Sapna Patel (2no) brought the team home

“All our matches this year have come down to the wire,” said skipper Lucy Horitz. “It speaks volumes about the standard of the league, but it’s not so good for the finger nails!”