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WHAT'S STILL TO PLAY FOR??
Top three sides all chasing honours with two weeks of season to go
Yesterday's bad weather saw all of the club's senior games abandoned without a ball being bowled, a story which was repeated across Essex in all but a handful of games.
This means it's "as you were" in the league standings with two rounds of games remaining in the Hamro Foundation Essex League season. Here we take a look at what all of our senior sides still have to play for over the coming weeks.
1st XI
Division: Division 1
Current Position: 3rd
Highest Possible Finish: 1st
Lowest Possible Finish: 4th
Last Season: 6th (same division)
Fives and Heronians look to have top spot sewn up, but Upminster sit just 10 points behind Billericay in the chase for the second promotion spot. Pulkit Gupta's side will realistically need to beat both Springfield (away next week) and Ilford (home on final day) to have a chance of claiming that second spot, and they will also need Billericay to slip up in at least one of their two games against Orsett and Thurrock and Gidea Park and Romford. Whatever happens, with just one league defeat so far all season, it has been one of Upminster's best seasons of the last 12 years.
2nd XI
Division: Premier
Current Position: 1st
Highest Possible Finish: 1st
Lowest Possible Finish: 3rd
Last Season: 3rd (same division)
Yesterday's abandonments mean Upminster maintain a very slender (three point) lead over Wanstead and Snaresbrook at the top of the table. Upminster host Iford next weekend while Wanstead travel to Harold Wood who themselves are only three points below them in the table. Whatever the result of next week's games, Upminster's visit to Wanstead and Snaresbrook on the final day of the season will now definitely have something on it, while depending on their result next week, Wood's game at Chelmsford may also still have a say in the destiny of the Premier Division title. Upminster have never won the 2nd XI Premier Division, despite a number of second and third place finishes, so they will be hoping they can pick up the results needed to claim the title.
3rd XI
Division: Premier
Current Position: 4th
Highest Possible Finish: 1st
Lowest Possible Finish: 6th
Last Season: Champions (same division)
One team who will certainly have been frustrated by yesterday's weather was the 3rd XI. Dan Simpson's side have been in fine form in the second half of the season, charging up the table to give themselves an outside chance of retaining their Premier Division crown. That is still a possibility, but it will now need a more unexpected set of results for it to happen. Upminster simply have to win against Harlow at Coopers next week, and also hope current leaders Harold Wood slip up in their game with West Essex. If that happens it would also bring West themselves back into the title picture (they face Harlow on the final day of the season), while Brentwood, who currently sit in second spot, could sneak into top spot with home wins over Woodford Wells and Ilford. And hanging over all of these scenarios is the small matter of Harold Wood v Upminster on the 7th September!! Hope you've got all that!! Whatever happens it has been an excellent season once again for the 3s, who had a poor first half of the season but have picked up a number of great results in the second half of the campaign at the same time as bringing through another crop of hugely talented younger players.
4th XI
Division: 3rd XI Division One
Current Position: 5th
Highest Possible Finish: 2nd
Lowest Possible Finish: 8th
Last Season: 7th (same division)
Whatever happens, Ian Munn's side will be the highest placed 4th XI in the County once again, and there are still high hopes of a top half finish to end the 2024 campaign. That will be tough with a visit to champions elect Chingford next weekend before a home game with Orsett and Thurrock to finish. 2024 has been an up and down season for the 4s with availability making it difficult to field a consistent side, but while the team have slipped back from Chingford, Hornchurch and Hutton at the top of the table in recent weeks, they have never been in danger at the wrong end of the table this season, and will once again be competing at this level in 2025.
5th XI:
Division: 4th XI Premier Division West
Current Position: 5th
Highest Possible Finish: 2nd
Lowest Possible Finish: 8th
Last Season: 5th (same division)
This division is notoriously tight and competitive, and that has been the case once again in 2024, with just 22 points currently separating 2nd to 8th places in the table. With home games against Oakfield Parkonians (currently two points above Upminster) and Chingford (currently one point below Upminster) there is still a chance for Aalok Latey's team to muscle into the top three (and even the top two), but with only one promotion spot available Frenford already have things sewn up at the top of the table.Whatever happens over the next two weekends, Upminster will once again have the highest finishing 5th XI in the league.
6th XI
Division: 4th XI Division One East
Current Position: 8th
Highest Possible Finish: 4th
Lowest Possible Finish: 10th
Last Season: 5th (4th XI Division One Central)
Yesterday's rain-off against Chelmsford 5s all but condemned the Chelmer Park side to relegation, but Ray Calder's Upminster side now face a crunch game at 9th placed Hadleigh and Thundersley next Saturday. A win there and Upminster will be safe, and can look to reel in some of the sides just above them on the last day of the season, but a loss would mean they may need something against Billericay in their final game, while Hadleigh will be facing Harold Wood. Upminster should be confident of picking up the results necessary to avoid the drop, as their form in the second half of the season has been solid following a tough first few weeks of the summer.
Mid-Essex XI
Division: Mid-Essex League Division 9
Current Position: 8th
Highest Possible Finish: 6th
Lowest Possible Finish: 8th
Last Season: N/A
One team who will certainly not have grumbled at yesterday's rain was the Mid-Essex XI whose call-off at Navestock means they will retain their Division 9 status for 2025 (there is just one round of games remaining in the Mid-Essex League). It has been an interesting first season in the Mid-Essex League, with new grounds, new opponents and new rules to contend with, but three wins in a row during August has helped take Craig Grote's side to safety. The division has proved to be very much a two tiered affair, with the top five and bottom five split massively, and Upminster will be hoping they can beat 6th placed Hornchurch Athletic next week to claim "top-spot" in the bottom half of the table.
Women's 1st XI
Division: Essex Women's Premier League, Division 1
Current Position: 2nd
Highest Possible Finish: 2nd (confirmed)
Lowest Possible Finish: 2nd (confirmed)
Last Season: 3rd (Division 2)
The 1st XI finished their season last weekend with a terrific win over champions Colchester and East Essex, and while some sides still have one game remaining Upminster know they will end the season in 2nd place, which is a huge achievement in their first season at this level.
Women's 2nd XI
Division: Essex Women's Premier League, Division 3
Current Position: 1st
Highest Possible Finish: 1st
Lowest Possible Finish: 4th
Last Season: N/A
Upminster's win at Galleywood last Sunday fired them to the top of the table, where they hold a slender lead over Billericay. The side travel to East Anglia Veterans today (Sunday) for a crucial game, before facing Walthamstow and Benfleet to complete the season. Angela Green's side know three wins will see them seal the title.