The series of Benefit Matches at Upminster Park began in 1997 when Alan Lilley, a long time servant of Essex cricket both on and off the field, brought an Essex XI to play Upminster CC on Monday 15th September. A healthy crowd, swelled later in the day as people returned from work and school, saw England stars Nasser Hussain and Peter Such line up for the County side in a 35 overs per side contest. Hussain made 52 as Essex won a high scoring encounter by 16 runs. However, Upminster youngster Daniel Tyler had the biggest thrill of the day, bowling the legend Graham Gooch for just seven runs.

In 1998, with no Essex player receiving a Benefit Year, Peter Such brought an Essex XI to Upminster to raise funds for the Essex County Cricket Benefit Association. The day started with good news for Such himself, as it was announced he had earned a place in the England squad for the Ashes Series in Australia later that year. Another high scoring match followed, with Essex winning a tight contest.

Nasser Hussain, who was the England captain at the time, was the Essex Beneficiary in 1999, and he brought a very strong side to RM14 for the game on the 6th September. Hussain himself made 72 and local lad Stephen Peters made 41, before Ronnie Irani entertained the large crowd with a sparkling knock of 107 as Essex made 302 from their 35 overs. In reply, Upminster’s overseas star and future Zimbabwe test player Dion Ebrahim made 38 and youngster Kevin McNeela made an unbeaten 31, but Upminster came up short, finishing on 250-9.

The game had now started to become part of the local cricket and community calendar, and so while there was no player beneficiary in 2000 the fixture was still played, once again in aid of the Essex County Cricket Benefit Association. Will Jefferson made 65 for the County side, but Upminster’s Steve Wright made the same score as the home side won by two wickets in the last over, to win the contest for the first time.

England spinner Such was awarded a Benefit Year for 2001, and on 30th August brought a strong county side to Upminster Park. Local lad Peters was again in the runs, making 68 as the Essex XI racked up 237-7 in their 35 overs. Upminster veteran Nigel O’Dell then made a wonderful 109 in the home side’s reply and with Steve Mack making an unbeaten 60, Upminster were able to win the game by one wicket with 10 balls to spare.

Upminster made it three wins in three years in 2002 as they overcame an Essex XI captained by Mark IIott for his Benefit Year. Tim Phillips made 90 for the county side at a sweltering Upminster Park, but runs from Danny Laird and overseas star Lorne Sprigg led Upminster to a five wicket win.

After three consecutive Upminster wins, Essex captain and 2003 Beneficiary Ronnie Irani seemed determined to pick up a win as he called upon a certain Graham Gooch to open the batting for the county side. The huge Upminster Park crowd were then treated to a masterclass by Gooch as he made 163 and with help from Irani himself Essex racked up a massive total which proved too much for Upminster, who fell to a 100 run defeat.

Essex fielded one of their strongest sides for the annual match in 2004, which was once again played in aid of the Essex County Cricket Benefit Association. Their side for the game on the last day of August that year included overseas stars Danish Kaneria and Andre Adams and future England coach Andy Flower, as well as a host of 1st XI regulars. County captain Irani made 75 and Graham Napier struck 52 as Essex reached 344 from their 35 overs. Shafiq Rahman, Adrian Rosser, Jason McNally and John Curtis all made half centuries in the home side’s reply, but they fell 31 runs short of their target.

Essex all-rounder Paul Grayson was the county Beneficiary in 2005 and his side won a tight scoring contest by just four runs, mainly thanks to a marvellous 125 from Will Jefferson. Essex claimed a more convincing win in 2006, with the match played in aid of Ashley Cowan’s Benefit Year. Ryan Ten Doeschate made 103 for Essex before the game was held up when Cowan himself made-off with the stumps!!! Essex eventually won by 115 runs despite a half century from Nicky Ison.

After a two year break (the county had no beneficiary in 2007 or 2008), a game was staged in 2009 in aid of the Graham Gooch Essex Cricket Academy. For the first and only time the game took place on the August Bank Holiday Monday and the largest crowd in the history of the event at that time witnessed the match in glorious sunshine. James Foster made 120 and Varun Chopra 70 for the county side, but a brilliant century from youngster Elliot Bussey and 74 from fellow youngster Alan Ison saw Upminster to a thrilling one wicket win.

In 2010 a similar game took place in aid of the Graham Gooch Cricket Academy and the match was held on a Sunday for the first time (where it has remained ever since). Big scores from Grant Flower and Billy Godleman meant that a wonderful knock of 99 from Alan Ison was all in vain, as Essex gained revenge for their 2010 defeat with a comfortable 75 run victory.

James Foster was awarded a Benefit Year for 2011, and he brought along a strong county side for the fixture in September. Gloveman Foster had played in the fixture on numerous occasions and a big crowd turned out to support him. Foster himself was dismissed cheaply but Michael Coomber went on to make 114 not out for the Essex side and although Akbar Jabar replied with a fine century for Upminster, Essex won the contest by eight runs.

In 2012 the match was played in aid of Graham Napier’s Benefit Year and the game was changed from a 35 overs per side match to 30 overs each (and it remained that way until 2018). The big hitting all-rounder, another favourite with the Upminster Park crowd, didn’t disappoint as he scored 116, and with Ben Foakes adding 96 Essex totalled 366-8. In reply all the Upminster players got a start but 75 not out from Terry Wyatt was the highest score as Essex won the match by 64 runs.

The 2013 match was played in aid of David Masters’ Benefit Year and Jaik Mickleburgh, Nick Browne, Graham Napier and Tymal Mills all contributed to a total of 331-5. Elliot Timoti and Shabhaz Butt put together a fine partnership that briefly threatened to win the game for Upminster, but three wickets from Matt Salisbury meant a 28 run victory for Essex.

The most high profile game to be played at Upminster Park took place in 2014 with the match being played in aid of Alastair Cook’s Benefit Year. The prospect of seeing the England captain of the time, a man who would go on to become a Knight of the Realm and England’s all-time leading test run scorer, saw huge crowds flock to the big match. On another gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon, the record breaking crowd were treated to some big hitting from both teams and a very tense finish with Cook’s Essex side winning by the narrowest of margins, a single run. Essex set the home side a target of 328 with Cook himself making 80. Shahbaz Butt top scored in the run chase, with 61 from 30 balls, and a cameo at the back end of the innings from guest player Anthony Alberti (an unorthodox 57 not out from 37 balls) ensured the vast crowd was treated to a great game on a never to be forgotten afternoon for everyone involved. Cook himself was at the ground long into the evening, making sure everyone who wanted an autograph or photo went home happy.

The 2015 match was also played in aid of a high profile beneficiary, as Ravi Bopara came to Upminster Park with his county side for the game. The main man made 117 and he received good support from Ryan Ten Doeschate, Rishi Patel and Kishen Velani as Essex posted 292-7. In reply Harry Jenkins and Shafiq Rahman top scored for Upminster, but they fell some way short as Tom Westley picked up five wickets for Essex.

With no individual beneficiary in 2016 the match was played in aid of the Essex Cricket Foundation, something which went on to be the case all the way through until 2025. Half centuries from Paul Walter and Ravi Bopara and a quickfire cameo from captain Nick Browne helped Essex to 261-7. Upminster stuttered in reply before captain Harry Jenkins hit an entertaining 34 and Louis Pickering made 54, but Upminster were all out for 189.

The only tied contest in the history of the fixture came in 2017, in what was also the only match to have been held up by weather. John Curtis struck two from the final ball of the game, bowled by Upminster’s U9 captain of the time Ross Taylor, to secure the result with Upminster finishing on 205-9, just one short of their revised target of 206 from 25 overs. Essex would go on to claim their first County Championship title for 25 years just a few days after the game.

2018 saw a change of format with the headline game being modernised to become a T20 contest and a variety of other cricket events and activities taking place on the ground throughout the day. The day started with a Women’s Softball Festival and was followed by the Upminster U11s taking on a local invitational side. The main event saw Tom Daniels make 50 not out as Upminster won by four wickets in the final over, their last win until the 2024 match. The format for the day, with different matches and sessions taking place from early in the morning, was then followed in subsequent years.

In 2019, Essex won the toss and scored 264-7 from their 20 overs with Rishi Patel scoring 76 and Ravi Bopara making 58 not out. Upminster made 201 all out in reply with James Evans and Nicky Ison in the runs for the home side. Essex then went on to enjoy one of the greatest week’s in their history, winning the Vitality Blast and County Championship in the space of five days.

Due to the COVID pandemic the fixture did not take place in 2020 or 2021, but the game returned with a bang in 2022 with one of the largest crowds in the event’s history. A strong Essex team took part including Men’s 1st XI stars Dan Lawerence, Jamie Porter, Nick Browne and Matt Critchley while the side also included Essex Women’s players Grace Poole and Tilly Callaghan as well as Alfie Jeeves, Isaac Elles and Benny Fryett from the Essex Cricket Ability Teams. The strong Essex side took the honours by eleven runs with Robin Das (76), Jamie Porter (64) and Dan Lawrence (46) providing the bulk of the visitors 225-4. Tom Daniels made 85 and Oliver White was also in good form as Upminster attempted to chase down the total, but they eventually ended on 214-8.

The 2023 game was an historic one, with Upminster fielding a player from their Women’s 1st XI for the first time. Vicky Waters represented the club, and claimed two wickets along the way, dismissing both Jamie Porter and Jamal Richards after both had made half centuries. Essex still managed to make 201-4 in the blistering heat and that proved 33 too many for Upminster despite runs from Pulkit Gupta and Dan Simpson.

Upminster’s Callum Berry was the star of the show at the 2024 match, striking 100 not out from just 44 balls to give the home side their first win since 2018. Berry retired to take the adulation of the big match crowd having reached the landmark, but James Evans and Kiran Kullar calmly saw Upminster home by seven wickets. Earlier in the day Sam Cook and Charlie Allison had entertained the Upminster public as they peppered the boundaries with shots all round the ground.

The games since 1997 have been brilliantly supported by all of our sponsors and the Upminster public who have turned out in force for all of the games. Amazingly, aside from a brief interruption in 2017, none of the games have been affected by bad weather, with glorious sunshine having marked most of the contests.

Seeing the likes of Gooch, Hussain, Irani, Such, Flower (both of them), Bopara, Napier, Foster, Westley, Foakes, Grayson and of course Sir Alastair Cook, grace the Upminster Park turf has been a huge honour for everyone involved with the club, and we hope that we will be able to see the next generation of Essex stars continue to do so for the next 25 years!!

Head to Head Record:

Upminster 6 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2018, 2024)

Essex 17 (1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023)

Tie 1 (2017)