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.