April

After a successful winter indoor campaign, which saw the Club claim three trophies, the 2019 season got underway on Easter Sunday when the Friendly XI visited Putney CC for the first time.  Dave Brown's side were the success story of the first half of the season, and they started with a seven wicket win.  Nicky Ison, Will Frost and Will Bottoms picked up two wickets apiece, but it was the captain who stole the show with the ball as his 3-18 helped to restrict Putney to 196-9.  Frost and Stewart Hammond got the reply off to a good start before an unbeaten half century from Ison and runs from Ollie White saw Upminster to victory.  The next day, Easter Monday, saw the 1st XI in action for the first time, as they entertained a Wanstead & Snaresbrook XI.  Alan Ison (88) and Louis Pickering (77) helped the home side to 239-4, before two wickets for each of Ollie Peck, John Curtis, Sam Twine and Shahbaz Butt saw Wanstead bowled out for 92.

Unfortunately the first competitive senior action of the season saw defeat as the 1st XI crashed out of the League Cup on the final Saturday of April.  Louis Pickering bowled well and picked up three wickets, and there was a brace of wickets for Nicky Ison and Shafiq Rahman, but Wood were still able to pile up 276-8 from their 50 overs, with captain Craig Perrin making a half century. In reply Shahbaz Butt and Kiran Kullar got Upminster off to a good start, but when they fell things quickly went downhill and Upminster were bowled out for 148.  Wood also came out on top in the friendly match between the two club's 2nd XIs back at Upminster Park. Upminster's batsmen struggled to get going but youngsters Will Frost, Max Gordon and Nathan Bright helped them to make it to 125-7 from their 40 overs.  It was never enough though and Wood won by seven wickets.

The following day the 1st XI reached the second round of the National Cup after Kent side Roebucks conceded, while there was another win for the Friendly XI in a thrilling game at Holtwhites-Trinibis.  Paul Middlemiss made 66 and Oliver White and Kevin Roome were also in the runs as Dave Brown's side made 191-9 from their 40 overs.  79 from Gareth Garnsworthy looked to be taking Holtwhites to victory but wickets fell late on and Mark Schofield held his nerve when bowling the last over as Upminster squeezed home by one run.

May

With the 1st XI out of the League Cup, May began for them with a friendly against Benfleet and runs for Shafiq Rahman and Shahbaz Butt helped them to an eight run win over the Division 2 side. There was even a rare appearance for Nick O’Dell!!! The 2nd XI were also in friendly action against the same opposition, but fell to an eight wicket defeat, while the 3rd XI picked up an impressive win at Wanstead & Snaresbrook thanks to 89 from Ben Calder.

The following day finally saw a competitive win, on the field of play, as 84 from Alan Ison helped the Sunday League side to a 51 run win over Goresbrook, while the Friendly XI won again, beating North Enfield by four runs thanks to a half century from Max Carter Miller.

The SNEL programme got underway on the 11th May, but it was a frustrating month for the 1st XI. On the opening day at Woodford Wells they made 211-8 thanks to 77 from Nathan Woods, but a brilliant unbeaten 113 from Wells’ Mitchell Todd condemned Upminster to a heavy defeat. Things didn’t get better the following week as a powerful Shenfield side stormed to an eight wicket win over Ollie Peck’s men, but they did stop the rot on the final Saturday of the month, as a fine hundred from Shahbaz, and mature knocks from Louis Pickering and Tom Daniels helped to secure a draw against Loughton.

The 2nd XI went unbeaten through May……….but couldn’t manage a victory as all three games were drawn. Sam Twine made an unbeaten 67 and claimed two wickets as they had the better of their opening game with Wells. Nicky Ison took four wickets and made 26 as they held on for the draw at Shenfield. And then half centuries from Ison, Josh “the Big Show” Lamont and Frankie Hazle helped them pile up 263-5 at Wanstead before the home side clung on for the draw at eight down.

If things did not start well for the 1s and 2s, they certainly did start well for the 3rd XI, under the guidance of new skipper Ollie White. The 2018 Champions started the defence of their crown with a 69 run win over Harold Wood. Bobby Mack and Rohan Mayor steered their side to 166-7 before Ant Limn spun out Wood for just 97. Week two saw a repeat of the 2018 title decider as Woodford Wells visited Coopers. Mack was in the runs again but Pete Thompson top scored as Upminster made 207-8. Limn kept up his good start to the season with four wickets, but Wells held on at 166-7. And the month finished with another draw, in strange circumstances at Bretwood. Mack (again) and James Ramsden took Upminster to 216 and they then reduced Brentwood to 79-9 thanks to five wickets from Max Carter Miller. However, last pair Dave Balroop and Oscar Torrado saw out 17 overs as Brentwood finished on 111-9.

After escaping the drop on the last day of the 2018 season the 4th XI made a much better start to 2019. The returning Luke Williams picked up three wickets against Frenford at Coopers as the visitors were restricted to 141-9 before 68 from Gary Carr looked set to take Upminster to a comfortable victory. However, a middle and lower order collapse meant it was left to last pair Brian Martin and Kevin Roome to steer their side to a thrilling one wicket win. They slipped to defeat a week later against bogey side Old Southendians, despite 64 from Williams, and also lost on the last weekend of the month as a strong Hutton side proved worthy winners despite only claiming victory off the penultimate ball and more runs from Carr and four wickets from Will Bottoms.

The 5th XI showed a lot of fight on the opening day to hold on for a draw at Loughton. Youngsters George King and Harvey Daniels shone with the ball for Upminster as Loughton made 155. Daniels then made 31 with the bat but after he and Ray Calder (25) fell Upminster had to hold on for the draw at 97-9. They got their first win of the season the following week, and in some style. Shreyansh Shah picked up three wickets as Shenfield were shot out for 68 before Calder and Rafe Smallman saw their side to a ten wicket win. And Smallman was in fine form the following week as his 101, his first century for the Club, saw Upminster to a comfortable friendly win against Oakfield Parkonians. Michael Jones picked up 4-24.

While the 1st XI had a tough month in the League they finished the month with some excellent cup performances. In the Conference Cup they put in an excellent performance to knock out Banstead of the Surrey Premier League. Kiran Kullar made 80 not out and with Shahbaz and Louis Pickering also in the runs Upminster made 249-8. Shahbaz then showed his skills with the ball, claiming 6-55 as a fine all round bowling performance saw Upminster win by 52 runs. The following day, Bank Holiday Monday, most of the side were back in action in the Dukes Essex T20 Cup qualifying stages at Hadleigh. 89 from Shahbaz and runs from Pickering and Harry Jenkins were enough to help Ollie Peck’s side to a 46 run win over Southend on Sea & EMT, but Harold Wood proved to strong in the group final despite 56 from Pickering.

Remarkably the Sunday Friendly XI continued their excellent form to finish the month still unbeaten. Max Carter Miller’s unbeaten 46 helped them to a four wicket win over Crouch End and then the following week the Big Show made an unbeaten century and Nathan Brown picked up three wickets as Old Fallopians became the latest victims of Dave Brown’s men.

Windmill Whack IV also got underway during May. The Kushoom Bugh Tigers showed why they were favourites for the title with a crushing win over the Apple Finance Birds on Match Week 1, before the competition’s real heavyweights, the Govani Maestros cruised past the Hunter Hurricanes later in the day.

June

Early June had brought a familiar story for the 1st XI, as they fell to the bottom of the table. The month began with a crushing defeat against fellow strugglers Southend. Kiran Kullar and Shahbaz were in the runs for Ollie Peck’s side, but Carl Lees and Numan Khan made light work of the chase and led the Seasiders to a nine wicket win. (Scorecard)
Things did not improve a week later as Gidea Park and Romford, also sitting towards the wrong end of the table, came away from Upminster Park with the points. The home side’s attack looked toothless as Park reached 217-5 before Kullar and Louis Pickering put Upminster into a good position. Five wickets fell for five runs though, and despite the efforts of Peck and James Aggio-Brewe Upminster fell to another heavy defeat. (Scorecard)
In true Upminster style, having been well beaten by two sides at the bottom of the table and without a win to date in the League, Peck and his men upset the odds to overcome promotion chasing Harold Wood in a thriller. Harry Jenkins top scored with 75 as Upminster made a competitive 254-8 but Wood made a fast start to their reply. However, Louis Pickering produced his best spell of the season to take 5-55 and with Peck and Nicky Ison also in the wickets, Upminster won by 29 runs. (Scorecard)
Like London buses, one Upminster win was immediately followed by another, as a near identical result and performance against Hutton saw Peck’s side move towards mid table. James Evans and Shahbaz were in the runs as Upminster made 261-9 before Nicky Ison was the star of an excellent bowling performance from all five bowlers, claiming 3-41 as Hutton were bowled out for 215. (Scorecard)
Any thoughts that a climb towards the higher echelons of the table may now take place were ended a week later. Evans and Shahbaz batted well again but with no other support Upminster’s total of 138 was well under par and saw them fall to an eight wicket defeat. (Scorecard)

The 2nd XI endured another tough month, and ended June still looking for their first win. They did remain unbeaten in the timed format matches after stalemates with Ilford and Wickford. Against Ilford, Paul Middlemiss, James Evans and Josh “the Big Show” Lamont helped Upminster post 229-9. Ilford looked on track for victory before Ellis Pickering and Mark Schofield hit back with the ball and ensured a draw. A week later the boot was on the other foot as Wickford recovered from 67-5 to post 226-8 and then Upminster lost early wickets before batting out for the draw at 177-7. The change to limited overs cricket saw local rivals Hornchurch come to Upminster Park and the high flying visitors were restricted to 171 thanks to a fine spell of 5-35 from Sam Twine. Upminster made a good start in reply but lost wickets at regular intervals after that, and despite 46 from Lamont they succumbed to a 25 run defeat. This result was followed by a similar one a week later at Oakfield Parkonians. Lamont, Twine and captain Billy Wright were all in the wickets as Parks made 187-8 but it was to much for Upminster as they were rolled out for 109. Unfortunately June finished with another heavy defeat, this time at home to Brentwood. Stu Connor batted well for the home side but a total of 138 was never going to be enough against the visitors’ powerful line up, and so it proved as Brentwood won by seven wickets.

The chances of the 3rd XI retaining their Premier Division title increased as they enjoyed an excellent June, even though it finished with a defeat. Two veterans stole the headlines as they started the month with a win over local rivals Hornchurch. Pete Thompson made 59 as Upminster reached 203-8 before Ant Limn’s 5-24 bowled out Hornchurch for 185 after they had looked set for victory. A week later the result was repeated, but the star performers were different, as Ollie White’s side saw off Wanstead & Snaresbrook at Nutter Lane. Will Frost’s 50 saw his side to 190 and then with David Sacree’s 81 looking likely to take Wanstead to victory Tom Larke claimed 6-38 to bowl out the home side for 181. The move to limited overs games could do nothing to halt the 3rd XI juggernaut as Chelmsford were then swept aside at Coopers. The captain claimed 5-14 as Chelmsford were bowled out for 84 before Steve Limn rediscovered his form of 2018 with an unbeaten 51 as Upminster won by nine wickets. At Loughton the next week it was the same again, as White and Max Gordon rolled out Loughton for 89 and Limn made 48 as Upminster cruised to a comfortable win. The month did finish with a first defeat of the season as an under-strength Upminster side were beaten by a strong Shenfield line up. 13 year old Callum Berry claimed a brace of victims for Upminster, but 94 from Arun Gautham helped Shenfield to 245-4. Berry showed his all round potential with an unbeaten 46 but six wickets for the evergreen Simon Jeffries saw the Shen to a 59 run win.

The 4th XI enjoyed an excellent June, despite starting the month with a poor performance at Billericay. Ian Munn’s patient 45 was the only highlight in a seven wicket loss. Captain Stewart Hammond led the way a week later as his half century, plus runs from Mike Larke, Gary Carr and Rohan Mayor saw Upminster to 207-6. Hammond then only needed to call on two bowlers as Karim Govani and Will Bottoms picked up five wickets apiece to bowl out Wanstead for 61. A thrilling game ensued the following week with leaders Orsett and Thurrock. Orsett were in big trouble at 65-7 before 58 from Alfie Feeney saw them to 138. Govani was in the wickets again with 4-22. Upminster looked on track for victory thanks to Ben Calder and Dave Brown but they lost wickets at crucial times, and the game ended in a remarkable tie as Upminster were bowled out for 138 from the last ball of the match. Hammond’s men returned to winning ways a week later as 42 from Callum Berry helped them to a two wicket win over Buckhurst Hill, and they finished the month in fine style with maximum points against Belhus. The captain made 49 but youngster Harvey Daniels stole the show with 53 and then Govani picked up four more wickets in a 42 run success.

It was an up and down month for the 5th XI, starting with a fine win over Brentwood. Shreyansh Shah, Karim Govani, Aalok Latey and Brian Martin combined superbly to bowl out Brentwood for 92 and Upminster cruised to an eight wicket win thanks to 45 not out from Mark Hortop. At South Woodford a week later Rafe Smallman and captain Alex Bottoms led Upminster to 210-7. South were on course for victory but a remarkable collapse against the bowling of Latey and Alex Ward saw them needing to cling on to the draw at 185-9. Things did not go plan against West Essex in mid June as Bottoms’ side were bowled out for 92 and lost by two wickets despite a fine spell from Matthew Bright (4-19). Rafe Smallman was the hero the following week as his marvelous 91 saw Upminster to a seven wicket win over Buckhurst Hill but the month finished in disappointing fashion as a young side was beaten by 175 runs by Oakfield Parkononians.

The 6th XI made a solitary appearance in June, but it was a brilliant afternoon for Matt Malby. He made his maiden century for the Club, 104 not out, and with half centuries from Ray Calder and Ben Hamberger Upminster were able to record a 142 run win over good friends Goresbrook.

The 1st XI’s cup interest for 2019 was also ended in June. Powerful Kent Club Bexley proved to strong for Upminster, and despite some decent individual performances, most notably from Billy Wright, it was a fruitless trip over the Dartford Bridge for the side. (Scorecard)

In the Sunday League there were wins over Buckhurst Hill, Benfleet and Bardoli, but a defeat against Chelmsord as the side pushed for a place in the end of season play offs, while the Sunday Friendly XI picked up a win against Bentley but fell to defeats against Epping and Ingatestone & Fryerning.

Only one Windmill Whack IV game took place in June and that saw the Apple Finance Firebirds overcome the Root 66ers. In a thrilling contest Terry Wyatt and John Curtis made half centuries as the Birds kept their nerve to pick up a six wicket win from the last delivery of the match. (Scorecard)

July

After eight league games without a win, the 2nd XI finally picked up their first win of the season, and in some style as well. They travelled to leaders Chelmsford on the first Saturday in July more in hope than expectation and although Nathan Woods, Paul Middlemiss and Jordan Tigg all got starts, a score of 153 all out didn’t look like it would be enough. However, a brilliant all round bowling and fielding display saw the home side collapse from 27-0 to 105 all out as Upminster picked up a memorable victory. Scott Fisher claimed 3-25 for the visitors. Any hopes of a prolonged run of good form for the side were ended a week later as they fell to defeat at Woodford Wells. Wells piled up 299-8 despite four wickets for Josh Lamont, and only Tigg (63) made any impression with the bat as Upminster were bowled out for 164. The team returned to winning ways against Shenfield at Upminster Park with their best all round performance of the season. Lamont made 51 and received excellent support from Frankie Hazle and Will Chuter as the home side made 206. Chuter (4-28) and Lamont (3-25) then ran through Shenfield’s middle order before Mark Schofield finished things off as the visitors were dismissed for 143. Unfortunately the rain won the day on the last day of the month and the home game with Wanstead & Snaresbrook was cancelled without a ball being bowled.

The month began well for the 1st XI but went downhill from there. Leaders Colchester & East Essex came to Upminster on the first weekend of July but were dismantled by Ollie Peck’s side. Shahbaz made a brilliant 125 and with support from Terry Wyatt (89) and Farid (42) Upminster piled up 322-8 from their 50 overs. Louis Pickering then tore through the visitors top order on his way to 5-65 and although the Colchster middle order showed some resistance, they were bowled out for 144 to give Upminster a huge 178 run win. Unfortunately the game with Woodford Wells the next week followed an almost identical pattern to the 2nd XI fixture. Wells made 287, mainly thanks to 143 from Aussie Mitchell Todd, and Upminster were then bowled out for 190, Nabeel Aziz top scoring with 36. There was heartbreak a week later as Shenfield got the better of things by just 12 runs in the derby clash at Courage Playing Fields. Shenfield fell to 22-5 and 52-6 against the bowling of John Curtis, Louis Pickering and Scott Fisher. Jack Kliber and Tom Ballington led the fightback for Shen, taking them to 177-6 before Curtis returned to tidy things up and claim 6-35 as Roy Smith’s side were dismissed for 203. The Upminster innings went the same way as the Shenfield one as they fell to 26-4 and 60-5, but Terry Wyatt took up the fight. He combined with Tom Daniels and then John Curtis and looked to be taking Upminster to victory, but he fell for 71 and Upminster were bowled out for 191 to fall just short. The crucial relegation clash with Loughton a week later fell victim to the weather so the side ended July in 8th position.

The 3rd XI continued their pursuit of back to back titles during July. The captain led the way in their game at Harlow as his 56, along with 44 from Adam Quested, led them to a total of 210-9. White then claimed 4-25 as Harlow were dismissed for 135. A solid all round bowling performance the following week saw Harold Wood struggle to 139-9 at Coopers. Upminster were in a spot of bother as they chased victory, but Harvey Daniels, Dan Simpson and the captain saw Upminster to an important five wicket win. The team’s march towards the title came to a halt a week later as they were well beaten at Woodford Wells. Only Matt Mccarthy showed any application with the bat as White’s side were dismissed for 135 before Guy Peddy and Ashish Gandhi helped Wells to a nine wicket win. The title showdown with Brentwood at the end of the month was another victim of the weather, meaning the two sides were still locked together with six games of the season to go.

July was another solid month for the 4th XI as they continued their impressive season. Harvey Daniels, Matt Mccarthy and Luke Williams were in the runs as Upminster made 198-4 against Chelmsford at Coopers. Veteran spinner Kevin Roome then claimed 3-31 to give new father Stewart Hammond’s side a win by 100 runs. The side then visited high-flying Frenford a week later and put in an excellent performance despite the eventual defeat. Ryan Brown and Nathan Bright impressed with the ball for Upminster but 91 from Daniel Oliver helped Frenford to 245-7. Ian Munn then made his highest score for the club (76) and Mccarthy and Williams again made contributions but the visitors came up just short as they ended on 220-9. Brown was in the wickets again a week later as his 3-32 helped bowl out Old Southendians for 124. Despite a few wobbles, 30 not out from the captain Hammond saw his side to a six wicket win. With the side in good form they will have been disappointed that their contest with local rivals Hutton was washed out on the last weekend of the month.

The 5th XI started the month with a thrilling contest against old friends Gidea Park & Romford. A brilliant 118 not out from Mark Hope helped take Park to a challenging total of 224-6 from their 40 overs. Ben Calder and Jai Mayor laid a good platform for Upminster as they set about the target and it was left to Alex Ward and captain Alex Bottoms (55*) to see Upminster home by seven wickets with just a ball to spare.
After a high scoring thriller it was a low scoring win for the side the following week against Loughton. Upminster were in huge trouble as James Doyle tore through their batting, but Dave Brown and Dave Cowley (40) helped them to reach 131. Michael Jones and Brian Martin then picked up three wickets each as Loughton were bowled out for 63. Upminster’s good run of form was ended in their next game at Shenfield. Marc Carter top scored for Shen as they made 152-9 and only Jones and Cowley made it into double figures as Upminster were rolled out for 65.

The Sunday League side played just two games during July. They were twice in a good position against leaders Ilford Town but slipped to a 56 run loss despite four wickets from Billy Wright and 76 from Nathan Woods. And their game with fellow play off chasers Waltham was cancelled due to the wet weather.

Windmill Whack IV continued to progress and the Kushoom Bugh Tigers showed their power with a comfortable win over the Govani Maestros. Jamie O’Dell and Connor Whetstone were in the runs and Chris Ryan and O’Dell were amongst the wickets. The Tigers did fall to defeat on World Cup Final day as they lost to the Hunter Hurricanes by three wickets, with Louis Pickering starring for the Canes. The Root 66ers then overcame the Govani Maestros in a heated exchange before a double header concluded the month. In those contests the Tigers got back on track with a win over the Root 66ers thanks to 54 from Tom Hilson, and then the Apple Finance Firebirds saw off the Hurricanes thanks to half centuries from Steve Limn and Michael Rath. All that meant there was still much to play for with just three group games remaining.

Upminster also entered two teams into the Gidea Park & Romford ladies softball festival on the day of the World Cup Final, and one of those sides came away victorious after winning all of their contests.

August

It was an up and down month for the 1st XI as they tried to claw their way out of the relegation places as the season neared it’s conclusion. They started the month with a crushing win over Southend on Sea & EMT which all but consigned the Seasiders to the drop. Shahbaz was the hero once again with a brilliant 149 not out from 126 balls as Upminster piled up 318-8. Joe Robbins replied with 112 from 104 balls for the visitors but a solid bowling performance from Ollie Peck’s side, including two wickets from James Evans, saw Upminster to a 61 run win. Any hopes that the win would lead to a climb away from the bottom two were ended just a week later with a poor performance against Gidea Park & Romford at Gallows Corner. Only stand in skipper Terry Wyatt and veteran Shafiq Rahman showed any fight with the bat as Upminster were dismissed for 170. Sam Hewitt and Ubaid Kiani put Park in control of the chase but John Curtis produced a stunning hattrick, and took four wickets in an over, to put Upminster back in it. Kiani stood firm though to see his side to a two wicket win. Promotion chasing Harold Wood came to Upminster Park on Week 15, and travelled back down Hall Lane with a win to their name. Evans and Louis Pickering batted well to help secure Upminster maximum batting points, and Pickering then took three wickets in the visitors reply, but Shahbaz Khan saw Wood to a three wicket win. Peck’s side then fell deeper into the relegation mire a week later as Vivian Paver overcame them at Hutton. Paver made an astonishing unbeaten 187 from a total of 313-4 to leave Upminster with a huge chase on their hands. Shahbaz tried to keep his side in it with 112 from 111 balls, but with a lack of support Upminster were forced to hang on for the draw at 213-8, picking up just five points in the process. Upminster finished the month with a must win contest against Fives and Heronians at Upminster Park, and they came out on top thanks to James Aggio-Brewe and James Evans. Aggio-Brewe picked up 5-57 to keep Fives in check and help restrict them to 261-8. Evans then made a sparking 102 from 108 balls to put his side in with a chance, and with support from Tom Daniels, Louis Pickering, Terry Wyatt and John Curtis Upminster picked up a crucial win by three wickets, to take the fight for survival down to the last day of the season.

The 2nd XI started the month with a win, but did not taste success again for the rest of the month. Batting first against Ilford at Valentines Park their innings was in the balance until Stuart Connor and Ellis Pickering combined in a brilliant seventh wicket stand which enabled them to post 215-8 from their 45 overs on a challenging track. Shafiq Rahman then shone with the ball claiming 3-29 as Upminster won by 97 runs. Unfortunately that performance could not be replicated a week later as they slipped to a costly loss against Wickford. Only Rob Mack and Will Frost passed 20 for the home side as they were bundled out for 116. Josh Lamont helped reduce Wickford to 84-6 in reply, but Lee Grimes and Bobby Carey helped see the visitors to a crucial three wicket win. Things did not get much better for Billy Wright’s side a week later as they fell to defeat in the local derby against Hornchurch at Harrow Lodge Park. Lamont’s good form with the ball continued as he picked up 5-48 and with Wright also amongst the wickets Hornchurch were bowled out for 173. Upminster got into promising positions twice during the chase but despite 39 not out from Adam Quested they missed out by 31 runs. The following week saw a crucial fixture with Oakfield Parkonians at Upminster Park. Upminster batted first against their 10 men visitors and Will Frost and Josh Lamont both made half centuries as Upminster reached 219-8 before declaring four overs early to try and force a result. Haaris Shah and Dip Patel put Parks in a good position but Sam Twine dismissed them both in quick succession before Lamont ran through the middle order. Upminster had nine overs at Parks’ last pair but Harry Markatis and Matt Holland stood firm to secure the draw at 204-8. It was similar situation on the final weekend of the month as Brentwood held on for the draw at the Old County Ground. Frankie Hazle, Nathan Woods and Stu Connnor reached half centuries as Upminster made 259-6. Callum Balsom made 59 for Brentwood before becoming one of four victims for Shafiq Rahman but despite captain Wright also picking up three wickets Brentwood held on at 218-8 to leave Upminster in the bottom two heading into the final games of the season.

Four wins during August kept the 3rd XI in with a genuine chance of retaining their Premier Division crown. They started the month with a win at local rivals Hornchurch and it was three 3rd XI veterans, with nearly 350 3rd XI appearances between them, who won them the game. Rob Mack top scored with 48 as Upminster batted first, and his only real support came from Pete Thompson as Upminster made 172. Mack then rolled back the years to take 3-22 in the Hornchurch reply, while at the other end Mark D’Cruz claimed a brilliant 6-23 as the home side were bowled out for 137. Ollie White’s side followed this up with a crushing win over Wanstead & Snaresbrook at Coopers. With his side in a spot of bother the captain combined with Rohan Mayor in a crucial fifth wicket stand which helped the home side to make a competitive 161. Upminster’s four man attack then tore through Wanstead’s batting with Max Gordon, Tom Larke, Will Bottoms and Luke Williams all amongst the wickets as the visitors were bundled out for just 68. White’s side suffered a potentially decisive defeat the following week as a rather strong looking Chelmsford side overcame them at Chelmer Park. The delayed Steve Limn made 56 batting at number four, but despite several other double figure contributions Upminster could only make 176. Captain White and Dan Simpson both picked up two wickets as Chelmsford chased a much needed win, but Nick Bailey and Tom Iliffe, a highly able combination for a 3rd XI batting line up, steadied the ship and saw their side to a five wicket win. Upminster bounced back a week later with a fine win over Loughton. Dan Simpson made his first half century since returning to the Club, but it needed an unbeaten 30 from number ten Andrew Berry to help Upminster to a competitive 156-9. Any worries as to whether that would be enough were soon brushed aside by Mark D’Cruz who took 4-36 as Loughton were bowled out for 107. Upminster finished the month with a hard fought win at third placed Shenfield. D’Cruz was in the wickets again, claiming 4-41 and Luke Williams and Mark Schofield claimed three wickets each as Shenfield made 165. Upminster old boy Alfie James made 56 for the home side. Simpson’s patient 31 got Upminster off to a good start in reply, and 33 from Alex Ward and an unbeaten 17 from Captain White saw Upminster to a three wicket win meaning the title race went to the last day of the season.

August did not start well for the 4th XI who lost their first three games during the month. Rafe Smallman and Ian Munn got them off to an excellent start against Billericay, but when they fell the rest of the batting struggled and they were bowled out for 174. Luke Williams picked up two wickets in the Billericay reply, but 53 from Steve Laen-Gray helped Ricay to a four wicket win with plenty of time to spare. A week later at Wanstead & Snaresbrook there was a more comprehensive defeat for Stewart Hammond’s side. A strong Wanstead batting line up piled up 276-6 with half centuries from Balraj Ryatt and Tom Bentley. Munn continued his good form with 55 at the top of the Upminster order, but only three others reached double figures as Upminster were bowled out for 125. Munn (45) was in the runs again the following week as high flying Orsett and Thurrock visited Coopers, but once again he lacked support. Ryan Brown did make an unbeaten 35, but Upminster crawled to 137-8 from their 50 overs. Brown then struck early in the Orsett reply, but 54 not out from Harry Lockyer eased Orsett to a six wicket win. A much improved performance saw Hammond’s men pick up their first win of the month against Buckhurst Hill. Six of the top seven passed 20 as Upminster batted, first with 56 not out from Ant Limn being the stand out innings. Luke Williams, who had earlier made 44, then took 5-25 as Hill were bowled out for 216 despite 71 from Matt Oakley. This was followed up a week later with another excellent performance against Belhus. Youngsters Harvey Daniels (58) and Callum Berry (46) showed their potential with a brilliant third wicket stand before late runs from Captain Hammond saw his side to 201-8. Belhus made a solid start to their innings but Kevin Roome, Rob Bannister and Jordan Tolan ran through the middle and lower order to see Upminster to an excellent win. It all meant with one week of the season to go Hammond’s side still had aspirations of a top three finish.

The 5th XI had an up and down August, and it started with an excellent game at Brentwood, despite the eventual defeat. 36 extras helped Brentwood to make 209, despite four wickets for David Cowley. Seven Upminster batsmen made double figures in the reply, but Alex Ward’s 35 was the top score and Upminster fell just short as they were bowled out for 193. They bounced back a week later with an extraordinary win against South Woodford. With the summer holidays in full swing Upminster could only field 8 men, but 101 from stand in skipper Alex Ward, along with support from Josh Mason and Michael Jones saw Upminster reach 207-4 from 40 overs. Ward then rotated all seven bowlers available to him and saw five of them pick up wickets as South were skittled out for 116. Shreyansh Shah was the pick of the attack with 3-18. It was a very different story a week later as Upminster dug in for the draw at West Essex. Mike Jones and Don Triggs were in the wickets for Upminster but 70 from Sameer Garg saw West to 256-8. Early wickets saw Upminster in a difficult position and they showed gritty determination to close on 57-5. There was another draw a week later, this time against Buckhurst Hill. Shah was in the wickets again with 4-29 as Hill closed on 193-6. Upminster started badly but stand in skipper Dave Brown came in and showed his side how it should be done. He made an unbeaten 75 but it was not quite enough as Upminster finished on 164-5. The month finished on a low note with a heavy defeat to promotion chasing Oakfield Parkonians. Keerthikan Thangavel top scored for Parks with 61 not out and despite excellent spells from Ben Hamberger and Brian Martin, Parks fought their way to a total of 159. It proved way to many for Upminster as Manicks Shankar claimed a quite remarkable 9-27 as Upminster were shot out for 67. Only Shah and Matt Malby reached double figures for the home side.

The 6th XI made just one appearance during the month, enjoying an excellent game with Brentwood 5th XI on the last day of the month, despite the result. Keyur Shah made 100 not out for Brentwood, while Josh Mason picked up 2-33 in Brentwood’s total of 255-7. Mason followed up his bowling with 76, but Upminster were bowled out for 184.

In the Sunday League Upminster secured their play off place with a win against Belhus and a narrow defeat to Rainham. Nicky Ison and Tom Daniels were the stars against Belhus. Ison made 107 and Daniels 95 as their second wicket stand of 142 helped their side to reach 285-4. Ollie Peck then claimed 3-19 as Belhus finished on 240-7. Ison was in the runs again in the defeat to Rainham as his 68 was the main contribution in Upminster’s 194-7. Upminster fought hard in reply but Rainham squeezed home by three wickets, but narrowly missed out on a play off spot.

The Sunday 2nd XI were in action just once in August, but they enjoyed an excellent game with Willow Herbs. Naomi McCarthy picked up 3-8 for Upminster as Herbs batted their way to 199-6. Ian Twine (62) and Ben Hamberger (55) then saw Upminster to a two wicket win.

Windmill Whack IV reached it’s conclusion with the final round of group games and then an exciting Finals Day. In the last round of group games the Apple Finance Firebirds and the Root 66ers secured their Finals Day place alongside the already qualified Kushoom Bugh Tigers. The Birds overcame the Govani Maestros in comfortable fashion. Joe Ellis-Grewal made 50 not out as Kev Heazle’s franchise made 163-4 before Jeff Mack and Sam Twine helped bowl out the Maestros for 106. The Roots then overcame the Hunter Hurricanes in a much tighter contest to claim their spot in the showpiece event. The Roots looked in trouble as Ellis Pickering and Rob Bannister ran through their top order, but James Evans and Rob Mack helped them recover to close on 145-8. The Roots spin trio of Josh Lamont, Mack and Ant Limn then tied up the Roots batting to see their side to a 12 run win, Mark Schofield’s 39 proving in vain.

It all mean that Finals Day began with the Apple Finance Firebirds taking on the Root 66ers at a sun drenched Upminster Park. The Birds won the toss and got off to a flying start as Mike Rath smashed 51 from just 20 balls and received good support from Ellis Pickering and Terry Wyatt. However, Josh Lamont and Matthew Bright tied down the Birds middle order and it needed some late hitting from Ollie Peck to lift the total to 173-9. The Roots lost two early wickets in the chase but Paul Stratton and Nathan Woods didn’t give up the fight. Stratton shocked the crowd with 57 from 46 balls as the Roots sensed a shock, but when he and Woods fell the innings fell away and Birds progressed to the Final with a 15 run win. The Kushoom Bugh Tigers won the toss and chose to bat first as they looked to claim the franchise’s first title. Matt Tigg made 50 from 40 balls but the innings was in the balance until Pete Thompson smashed 61 from 43 to help the total to 179-9. Tigg removed Rath early in the Birds’ reply but Terry Wyatt and Ellis Pickering kept the scoreboard ticking. Tigers lost inspirational captain Mark D’Cruz to injury but the O’Dell brothers, Jamie and Nick, kept their nerve as the pressure mounted and the Tigers claimed the trophy with a ten run win.

September

After four months of action the fate of three of Upminster’s Saturday sides was still unknown going into the final day of the League season. 7th September turned out to be one of the more interesting afternoon’s in the club’s recent history.

The 1st XI started the day in the second relegation spot on 167 points and faced a visit to already crowned divisional champions Colchester and East Essex. Gide Park and Romford were one place above Upminster on 170 points and they faced a short trip to Harold Wood who were chasing the second promotion spot in Division One. At Castle Park Colchester won the toss and decided to bat, while back in Havering, Harold Wood won the toss and elected to make first use of a good looking wicket. Upminster made a mixed start in the North of the County, but then as was so often the case in 2019, Shahbaz stepped forward to make his mark. He made 123 from 125 balls and with support from Nabeel Aziz Upminster moved towards a large total, and crucially maximum batting points. Terry Wyatt added some late runs as Ollie Peck’s side closed on 251-7. Back at Harold Wood Park the home side reached 224-8, meaning Gidea Park picked up 3 points, and at tea they were on 173 points while Upminster sat on 175. At that stage you may have got long odds on the points totals being the same at the end of the afternoon, but that is exactly how things turned out. At Castle Park Joe MacGregor and Julian Russell tucked into the Upminster attack and it soon became clear Upminster may struggle to pick up many, if any bowling points. Harold Wood were picking up regular wickets back in Havering but while Jamal Francis was at the crease for Park the relegation places were still not confirmed. Colchester cruised to a ten wicket win meaning Upminster finished the season on 175 points, but Francis had now gone for Park and with him went their chances of survival. They were bowled out for 116 meaning they finished on 173 points and will play in Division 2 next season, while Upminster survived and will remain in Division 1 for the 2020 campaign.

For the 2nd XI their survival task looked even tougher at lunchtime than that of the 1st XI. They faced leaders Chelmsford, needing a win themselves to claim the Premier Division title, knowing only a victory would realistically see them having a chance to avoid the drop, and even then they would need other results to go their way. Chelmsford won the toss and decided to bat first and Rob Hayto made a positive start for the title hopefuls. However, when he was removed by Scott Fisher Chelmsford collapsed against Billy Wright and Shafiq Rahman. Only Jack Cook showed any defiance for the visitors, but they fell from 117-3 to 150 all out. Frankie Hazle and Will Frost started well in reply but Upminster went from 20-1 to 21-3 and from 125-5 to 137-9 as Chelmsford closed in on the title. However, Fisher and Wright kept their nerve and saw Upminster to a one wicket win which at the time looked like it may secure survival. Unfortunately at Forest Road Shenfield were being skittled out by Oakfield Parkonians, and Parkonians 25 point victory meant they stayed up and Upminster dropped to Division One. Upminster’s win also denied Chelmsford the title and handed the crown to Hornchurch.

While it was bad news for the 2nd XI it was great news for Ollie White’s 3rd XI as they retained their Premier Division title on an afternoon of high drama at Coopers School. White’s side started play four points behind leaders Brentwood, but they were aware before the game began that Brentwood were fielding first, meaning they could only claim a maximum of 20 points. Things did not start well for Upminster as they fell to 9-2 against Harlow, but veterans Rob Mack and Mark Schofield made an excellent recovery. A further cluster of wickets saw them back in trouble, before Alex Ward and Andrew Berry struck some late blows to lift the total to a competitive 154. Harlow made a slow but steady start to their reply before Mark D’Cruz took over. The man with more than a 100 3rd XI appearances took three wickets in an over, and eventually finished with 5-38 to tilt the contest in his side’s favour. Mudasser Naeem was not going down without a fight and fought back with 55 from 49 balls, but he fell to Tom Larke who mopped up the tail to give Upminster the title by a single point!! White’s side amassed 307 points over the season, and were worthy champions.

With the drama elsewhere it went under the radar that the 4th XI claimed a final day win to finish in a remarkable 3rd place, and were the highest finishing 4th XI in the SNEL. Karim Govani led the way in their contest at Chelmer Park, as he picked up three wickets to put Stewart Hammond’s team in charge. Ant Limn also claimed a brace of wickets as Chelmsford closed on 169-8. Limn, Hammond and Ian Munn all made starts in the Upminster chase and Ryan Brown and David Cowley then took their side to a well earned four wicket win to crown a brilliant season.

The 5th XI also finished on a high with an excellent all round display to see off Gidea Park & Romford at Gallows Corner. Upminster were asked to bat first by Park and saw captain Alex Bottoms, in his last game for the Club for the time being, top score with 38. Several other double figure contributions helped the visitors to reach 187. Yogesh Kanchan then made 56 for the home team but nobody else made double figures as Aalok Latey and Nathan Bright claimed three wickets each to bowl out Park for 110 and give Bottoms the perfect send off.

There was also some last day friendly action for the 6th as they travelled to Rettendon. Upminster used 9 bowlers and performed well in the field but Rettendon made 233-4 with Sotherby and Marcus Plummer making half centuries for the home side. Ali and Nathan French made good contributions for Upminster in reply, but they were bowled out for 125. The 6th XI will return to SNEL action in 2020.

There was a sense of déjà vu for the Sunday League side as they lost out in the semi final play off to Waltham for the second year in a row. Waltham fielded s side with a number of names who had not featured regularly for them through the league campaign, but Upminster will still have felt they should have won the game. Josh Lamont picked up 3-38 as a good all round bowling and fielding performance saw Waltham dismissed for 177. Nathan Woods, Louis Pickering and Tom Daniels all made good starts as Upminster moved into a strong position, but they lost their way as the innings progressed and were dismissed for 165 to lose by 12 runs.

The 8th September saw the annual Benefit Match take place in aid of the Essex Cricket Foundation, and a large crowd once again came to Upminster Park to enjoy the occasion. The day began with an All Stars Coaching session and a Ladies Softball Event, before Upminster’s U11s took on a local invitational XI on the main square. Essex then batted first in the main event and Rishi Patel and Ravi Bopara both made entertaining half centuries as Essex made 264-7. After 80 of the club’s junior players then showed off their KWIK Cricket skills in a festival between innings James Evans and Louis Pickering then made an excellent start to the Upminster reply. However, once they both fell only Nicky Ison made a telling contribution and Upminster were bowled out for 201.