The 24th Benefit Match against Essex was another great occasion for everyone associated with Upminster Cricket Club. More than 250 members took part in or contributed towards the day, while a crowd of nearly four figures was in place for the afternoon’s T20 game against an Essex CCC XI.

EARLY MORNING MINIS TRAINING
While one side of the ground was being prepared for the afternoon’s T20 game, the other side was filled with girls and boys from our U5s, U6s and U7s squads. They took part in a special end of season training session, taken by coaches from the Club Cricket Academy and the club. Nearly 50 young players took part in these sessions, and we hope they all enjoyed their morning.

WINDMILL WHACK WOMEN’S EDITION FINAL
Late morning saw the fifth final of the Windmill Whack Women’s Edition take place, as the Burley Bandits took on the Apple Finance Phoenix in a repeat of the 2021 Final. The Phoenix batted first and made a net score of 302 (122-4), which looked to be a challenging total. The Bandits were up against it early in their reply, but some middle order runs from veteran Emma Noller got them back in the game and Sophie Burley and Eadie French then took their side to victory by five runs. After the game Bandits’ skipper Karen Burley received the winner’s trophy from Upminster’s 1st XI captain Pulkit Gupta and Essex captain for the day, Aaron Beard. Well done to everyone who played in the Windmill Whack Women’s Edition in 2024.

GIRLS SOFTBALL COMPETITION
While the Windmill Whack Final was taking place, some of our younger girls’ sides were taking part in a softball competition on the far side of the ground. There were some excellent performances during these games, and it was great to see how much progress the girls have made during the 2024 season. After the competition there were presentations made to our U10s, U11s, U12s, U13s and U15s girls’ sides, who all claimed honours during the season. There was also a presentation to Angela Green and Vicki Waters to thank them for their ongoing contribution to women’s and girls’ cricket at Upminster.

U11 GAME V REPRESENTATIVE SIDE
As has become a tradition of the Benefit Match over the last few seasons, the warm-up to the big game was provided by our U11s. They took on a Representative side, made up of players from a number of clubs in the Central and South Districts. There were some great skills on show during this contest, particularly in the field, with a number of brilliant catches taken. The Representative side batted first before Upminster chased down their target from the very last ball of the game. After the game, Essex captain for the day Aaron Beard presented the Upminster squad with the three Central District trophies they claimed during the 2024 season.

U12 AND U13 NET SESSIONS
Lunchtime also saw some of our older squads take part in end of season net sessions. Our U12s and U13s squads all picked up honours this season, and it was great to see them enjoy a final net together before the season drew to a conclusion.

UCC V ESSEX CCC XI – FIRST INNINGS
Essex won the toss and decided to bat first, and Sam Cook made 50 not as Essex moved towards a big score. Lois Gable, Zoe Quested, Max Carter-Miller and Mark Schofield all picked up a wicket for Upminster, but some late boundaries from Charlie Allison took Essex to a total of 202-4.

TEA INTERVAL
While the players enjoyed some well-earned refreshments in the pavilion, the outfield was taken over by girls and boys from our U8s and U9s teams. They peppered the big crowd with fours and sixes as they showcased their skills in a series of softball matches. Once their games had concluded they were able to pose for some photos with the players from both the Upminster and Essex sides. Our U9s also received the two Central League trophies they picked up this summer, with Jamie Porter on hand to present the silverware. It was also great to see nine of our young players receive their Jack Petchey Foundation awards to recognise their contributions to the club over the previous 12 months.

UCC V ESSEX CCC XI – SECOND INNINGS
The Upminster chase began with a ten minute shower over the ground, but the skies soon cleared and Mo Ahmad made 24 at the top of the order. Callum Berry looked in good form with the bat and was soon entertaining the crowd with a flurry of boundaries as Upminster kept up with the required run rate. Berry reached his century, only the second by an Upminster player in the history of this fixture, and after he retired, it was left to James Evans and Kiran Kullar to take Upminster to a seven wicket win.

THE PRESENTATIONS
Following the game, Upminster President David Parish thanked everyone involved in the day for their work, as well as thanking both teams for providing the large crowd with such great entertainment. He concluded by thanking the Upminster Public for once again coming along to support the occasion. Aaron Beard, the Essex skipper on the day, thanked the club for hosting the event once more and then received a cheque from the club on behalf of the Essex Cricket Foundation. The day concluded with our MC, Matt Chapman drawing those all important winning raffle numbers!!

P9150396 by Upminster Cricket Club, on Flickr