Put quite simply, 2026 was one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history with regards to on-field results. Three teams claimed their divisional league titles, two of them with some ease, while there were also three runners-up spots and an appearance at the Essex League T20 Finals Day. Individually there were also many highlights with the club’s batters piling up the centuries and a number of young players impressing throughout the season. Here we take a look at how the 4s, 5s, 6s and 7s performed in 2026.

4th XI:
For the 4th XI it was a season to remember. Promotion back to 3rd XI Division One at the first attempt and the side becoming “The Invincibles” as they achieved the rare feat of going the entire season unbeaten. Matt Ingleson’s squad was a great blend of youth and experience and the team spirit throughout was excellent.

There were two friendlies before the league campaign began, with Lewis Munn and Aadit Latey in the runs during a win against Fives & Heronians, and Ralph Moore impressing with bat and ball in a loss to Aztecs. The serious business began with a convincing win at Hutton 3s. Nathan Brown set the tone for the months ahead with 5-35 before George Sheridan showed his intent for the season with a brilliant 119 not out from 74 balls as Upminster chased down Hutton’s 184-8 for the loss of just four wickets. Such a commanding win against a 3rd XI from a club whose 1s and 2s would go on to enjoy such brilliant seasons in their respective Premier Divisions showed the talent and potential within the Upminster side. The side were given a fright the following week at Hadleigh & Thundersley before recovering to win once more. Ethan Berry made 64 at the top of the order for Upminster but when he was out his side were remarkably 76-5. That became 99-8 before Andrew Berry and Harry Bradford put on 45 to help the total climb to 144 all out. That proved to be plenty as Fenton Everingham’s 3-12 helped bowl out the home team for 80. Berry Jnr was at it again a week later against Fives at Coopers, smashing 135 from 89 balls (including EIGHT maximums) as Upminster piled up 337-5, Liam Robertson adding a late 77 not out to boost the total. Fives battled hard in reply and used all of their overs but finished way short on 238-9. May finished with another convincing win, this time at Brentwood. Dylan Nabheram claimed 4-16 to help bowl out the home side for 161 before captain Ingleson made 72 not out to steer his side to an eight wicket win.

June began with Upminster being pushed all the way by Wanstead & Snaresbrook in their toughest game to date in damp conditions at Coopers. On a day when many other games fell foul to the weather Brown was in the wickets again with 3-34 as Wanstead were restricted to 184-9. After a rain delay Ethan Berry and Steve Limn got the reply off to an excellent start with a stand of 95, but as the rain returned Upminster seemed to be more concerned with what was going on above them rather than on the ground itself as they fell from 150-3 to 150-7. However, Rob Mack and Dylan Narbheram kept their heads and their unbroken stand of 26 took their side to a three wicket win. There was another tight contest the following Saturday against Hutton. Alex Holloway made 131 for the visitors and they looked set for a big total until Michael Jones’ 4-65 hauled Upminster back into the game and helped restrict Hutton to 231-9. Berry Jnr made 87 at the top of the order to put Upminster in charge in reply, but the middle order buckled as Hutton fought back. Joshan Narbheram made 37 to steady the ship before Everingham and Jones calmly saw their side to a two wicket win. The first game against Wanstead had been a thriller but the return at Nutter Lane was anything but as Upminster won at a canter. Everingham (4-19), Brown (3-23) and Aedan Daly (3-32) combined to bowl out the home side for 95 and Limn and Ethan Berry then rushed Upminster to a nine wicket in just 13.1 overs. That victory made it seven wins in a row, but the run was ended by second placed Old Southendians in a sensational game at Coopers. Brown took 5-98 for Upminster but the visitors batted consistently down the order to make 258-8. Upminster’s top three all made good contributions in reply before Mack really got the chase moving with an excellent innings. Upminster needed 21 from the final two overs for victory, and although Mack brought up his ton in the final over, and finished 100 not out, the game was drawn with Upminster ending on 258-7. There was a draw at Fives a week later, although in this instance Upminster dominated the game. Mack continued his good form with 75 while Joshan Narbheram contributed 62 in an Upminster total of 280-8. Ingleson used eight bowlers in reply to try and force a result, but the home side batted out time at 205-8.

That left Upminster clear of the rest at the halfway stage of the season, and they pushed on with a win at South Woodford as the second half of the campaign began. Andrew Berry rolled back the years with 5-28 and Lewis Munn claimed 3-26 as South were dismissed for 149 before Sheridan (75*) and Ingleson (57*) calmly took their side to a nine wicket success. It was a similar scenario against Hadleigh and Thundersley at Coopers on the following Saturday. Brown was in the wickets again with 3-61 as Hadleigh were bowled out for 162 before Ingleson (71*) and 13 year old William Peck (63* on his 4th XI debut) saw Upminster to a 10 wicket win. Upminster were forced to battle hard and had to settle for a draw against Brentwood as July came to an end. Ollie Clarke took 3-28 for Upminster but Brentwood were still able to reach a more than competitive 256-9. Opener Limn made 59 for Upminster and Mack added 48 in the middle order, but wickets fell at regular intervals and Upminster ended on 232-7. August started with a routine six wicket win over Benfleet with Everingham claiming five wickets and Limn making 40, before a stalemate with Wickford at Coopers the following week. Sheridan continued his excellent season with 65 while the returning Scott Fisher made 79 not out in a total of 287-7. Wickford were determined to use all of their overs (50) and finished on 220-4. Ingleson’s side moved to the verge of promotion when they beat South Woodford in a high-scoring encounter at Coopers, with Sheridan supplying one of the club’s highlights of the season with a remarkable innings. The young batter made 193 not out, from just 141 balls, an innings which included 27 fours and two maximums. It looked for a while like he may even reach a double century before running out of overs, but his knock, along with 64 from Peck, helped the home side pile up 378-3. South batted positively throughout their reply, with Saqib Ali making a century of his own, but the occasional bowling of the skipper claimed 4-34 as Upminster won by 62 runs. Promotion was sealed in style the following week as Ingleson’s side cruised past their nearest challengers, Old Southendians. Rob Evans, called up from the 5th XI, took 4-17 and with Brown grabbing 3-32 Souths were bowled out for 133. Limn, always a man for the big occasion, then struck 85 not out and fittingly struck the winning runs while Ian Munn finished on 26 not out in a nine wicket win that elevated the side back to Division one with two weeks to spare. The August Bank Holiday Weekend weather, which wiped out most games across the county, meant Upminster claimed the title and their last game against Benfleet was therefore all about remaining unbeaten for the entire season. Daly grabbed 3-44 in Benfleet’s total of 161 before Liam Robertson made 40 and the captain let his hair down with 45 not out from 23 balls as Upminster won by five wickets. It meant the side had completed an 18 match league season without any losses and recorded 13 victories.

Sheridan topped the batting charts with 452 runs from just four innings, while Ethan Berry was close behind with 439 from seven knocks. The captain also cleared the 400 mark while Mack and Limn passed 300 and Peck showed his potential with 190 in the six games he played. Brown led the way with the ball with 35 victims while Everingham picked up 20 and Daly 15. Spinners Lewis Munn and Dylan Narbheram also impressed before moving on to the higher elevens. The foundations of a strong side are now in place and Ingleson and his team will be hoping to make an impression in Division One in 2027.

5th XI:
It was a solid season for the 5th XI with another fourth place finish, but there may be some regrets as there were several occasions during the campaign when it looked like they may push themselves into the promotion mix, only to then put in a poor performance which set them back.

The season began with an exciting friendly contest against Fives & Heronians with William Peck showing his intent for the season ahead as he made 96 and debutant Rob Evans made 50 not out. However, despite four wickets for Michael Jones it was Fives who prevailed by one wicket with Gary Edwards making 85 not out. The league campaign started with a routine win at Leigh on Sea where Kevin Roome picked up three wickets and Liam Robertson then made 56 not out to see Upminster to an eight wicket success. It was a similar story against Shenfield a week later where Evans claimed 4-14 to help bowl out Shenfield for just 99. Ian Munn then anchored the reply with an unbeaten 42 as Adam Overton’s side won by seven wickets. Munn was in the runs again a week later, as was Dylan Narbheram, as Upminster made 217-9 in their derby contest at Hornchurch. Roome then picked up four wickets as Hornchurch were bowled out for 175. Upminster were top of the table at that point but there winning run was ended by Belhus at Campion. Lewis Munn bowled superbly to take 3-10 but Belhus batted consistently throughout their innings to make 221-6. Peck and Thomas Cargill made half centuries in the Upminster reply, and Munn Jnr made 26, but the next top score was five as the home side were bowled out for 165.

The start of June game at Westcliff was washed out and there was then another defeat against Harold Wood. Peck and Stewart Hammond made 62 and 64 respectively and there were good contributions from youngsters Dylan Brooks and Aadit Latey which enabled Upminster to reach 221-9. Ryan Brown grabbed three wickets in the Wood reply, but it wasn’t enough as the visitors won by four wickets with four balls to spare. Both of the Munns were in good form the following week as the side picked up a much needed win against Wickford. Lewis Munn grabbed 5-18 as Wickford were rolled out for just 132 and father Ian then made 46, as did Matt Mccarthy, as Upminster won by six wickets. Another convincing win at Orsett & Thurrock a week later moved Upminster back into the promotion race. Bradford (3-27) led the way with the ball as Orsett made just 104 and Peck and Mccarthy then took their side to a nine wicket success. There was a thrilling game at Shenfield the following week, but unfortunately it was the home side who came out on top. Peck made his maiden senior ton, batting superbly for 104, whilst there were also runs from Hammond and Brooks in an Upminster total of 279-4. However, Shenfield batted well all the way down their order and secured a three wicket win from the penultimate ball of an excellent game.

A fine batting display from Adam Overton’s side ushered in the second half of the season as the Orsett attack was put to the sword. The captain made a half century (71), as did Ollie Clarke (72) and Ewan Lowrie (55), as Upminster piled up 342-9 at Campion. Orsett battled hard in reply, using all their overs, but Upminster prevailed by 102 runs. There was another brilliant contest at Hornchurch Athletic in mid-July but once again Upminster were on the wrong end of the result. Bradford and Evans were in the wickets as Athletic made 214 and Upminster were up against it in reply after losing early wickets. Lowrie (56) and Bradford (37*) looked like they may be the heroes for Upminster but with six needed from the final ball for a tie they could only manage two as Athletic won by four runs. The win-one-lose-one run reached six games a week later with a win at Hornchurch. Evans continued his excellent season with three wickets before unbeaten half centuries from Cargill and Rob Healy saw Upminster to a seven wicket win.

A tense win at Belhus at the start of August then kept alive the side’s faint promotion hopes. Evans claimed the best bowling figures from any Upminster bowler for the season, and the best ever by a bowler in the club’s 5th XI, with his 8-26 helping to bowl out the home side for 161. Upminster looked in trouble in the chase when they fell to 65-4 but Ian Munn and Alfie Taplin added 89 for the fifth wicket and the promotion chasers eventually prevailed by four wickets. Unfortunately, those promotion hopes were all but ended by title chasing Westcliff a week later at Campion, as they won a thrilling contest. Westcliff made 216-7 before Upminster got themselves into good positions at 89-2 and 179-6. However, wickets fell as the required run rate climbed and Upminster were eventually bowled out for 203. Leaders Harold Wood then proved too strong for Overton’s side the following Saturday. Wood piled up 343-3 in their 40 overs and despite a half century from Hammond and a late fifty from Aalok Latey Upminster were bowled out for 220 from the last ball of their innings. A fine spell from Ralph Burchell helped Upminster bowl out Wickford for 213 in mid-August but Upminster looked in trouble at 18-3 in their reply. However, Taplin wasn’t daunted by the task and struck a brilliant 104 not out, and with Will Court making 73 not out the pair saw their side to a seven wicket win. The Bank Holiday weekend clash with Leigh on Sea was a victim of the wet weather before the side rounded off their season with a victory over Hornchurch Athletic. Evans rounded off a fine season with three more wickets while veteran Kevin Roome grabbed four as Athletic were bowled out for 164 at Campion. Captain Overton then top scored with 62 while Court made 45 in a six wicket win.

Peck led the scoring charts with 340 runs before moving up the sides while Ian Munn made exactly 300 and Overton and Hammond both passed the 200 mark. Taplin and Cargill both showed their potential with the bat when in the side while other youngsters like Brooks, Lowrie and Court also showed glimpses of what they can do. Evans’ first season at the club ended with a brilliant 29 wickets while Roome picked up 15. There were also double figure tallies for Bradford, Anay Narbheram and Lewis Munn.

A fourth place finish was probably a fair reflection of the season, but Overton will hope that with a number of young players having gained valuable experience in 2026 the side will mount a genuine push for promotion in 2027.

6th XI:
The 6th XI made history in 2026 becoming the first Upminster side to win a divisional title in the T Rippon Mid Essex League. The first two years of competition in the league had been tough for our two Mid Essex sides, but the 6th XI showed the way forward this term by winning Division 9 and bouncing back to Division 8 at the first attempt.

A pre-season friendly at Hutton gave a good opportunity for a number of younger players to get their first ever senior matches under their belts and the contest ended in an Upminster victory with Woody Treadwell making 50 not out. The momentum was carried into the league opener (a week before the Hamro Foundation Essex League first matches) as Upminster won their derby contest at Navestock. Chasing 230 for victory Liam Robertson made an excellent 102 not out and Joseph Brooks made 55 as Upminster won by five wickets. There was another derby and another century a week later as the winning start to the season continued against Brentwood. Thomas Brabin made a brilliant 115 from just 75 balls and late runs from Jack Butler, Sanjay Narbheram and John French helped Upminster to post 299-9. Narbheram then followed up his batting effort with 3-28 as Brentwood were restricted to 230-8 to give Upminster a 69 run victory. It was Sanjay’s son Anay who did the damage at Hutton a week later, the young leggie picking up 3-24 as Hutton posted 219-5 at the Polo Ground. Brabin was in fine form again in the Upminster reply, making 77 not out, and with Mark Hortop and Kayhan Suneel also in the runs Upminster made it three from three with a five wicket win. The local derby theme continued a week later as Upminster hosted AGHAB at Campion and the theme of centuries also continued as 13 year old Kayhan Suneel made 106 not out from 119 balls, his first senior ton, to help put Upminster into a strong position. He was well supported by Aadit Latey (65) and Gary Carr (36) as the home side made 291-7. AGHAB made a good start to their reply, but Upminster stuck to their task and went on to record an 81 run win. Suneel followed up his ton with a half century at Southend the following week, while Dylan Brooks and Ralph Burchell also made contributions in an Upminster total of 263-9. Treadwell was then the pick of the Upminster attack as Southend crawled to 157-5 meaning Upminster made it five wins from five and topped the table at the end of May.

June began with rain washing out Galleywood’s visit to Campion, before a first loss of the season came at Chelmsford Super Kings, by the narrowest of margins. Upminster’s young attack, five of the six bowlers were 14 or under, all performed superbly to restrict the home side to 155-9 before Upminster fell to 76-7 in reply and seemingly on their way to a heavy defeat. Sanjay Narbheram and Oscar Sousanna then put on 58 for the eighth wicket to tilt things back Upminster’s way before three runs were eventually needed from the final two balls of the game, with only one wicket in hand. Unfortunately, the last wicket fell, and Upminster lost by just two runs. There was another loss a week later at title rivals Hatfield Peverel. Only Alfie Taplin (39) really got going in the Upminster innings as they were bowled out for 160 and Peverel went on to win by five wickets despite 3-18 from Treadwell. Suneel’s fine debut season of senior cricket continued against Basildon & Pitsea at Campion as he made a brilliant 93 before being run out. Taplin’s good form also continued with 92, and Will Court then blasted 61 not out as Upminster made 274-3. Baildon battled hard in reply but could only make it to 217-7 as Upminster got back on track with a 57 run win.

The second half of the season began with another comfortable win over Navestock. The middle order of Matt Burch, Aadit Latey, Taplin and Burchell rescued Upminster after a tough start and a score of 227-9 looked about par. Treadwell and Aalok Later were then in the wickets as Navestock could only make it to 190-8. One of the games of the season, or any season, was played at Brentwood the following weekend, with Upminster eventually winning by the narrowest of margins. Upminster struggled with the bat during their innings, but 72 not out from Harry Lawes enabled them to reach a competitive total of 200. Shrey Shah and Aalok Latey then put Upminster on top as Brentwood themselves struggled with the bat before the home side rallied and looked in control. Thomas Cargill then claimed two wickets and with Brentwood at 172-9 it was Upminster who again looked favourites. The final Brentwood pair though had other ideas and took the total to 199-9 with three balls of the match remaining. Cargill had the last word though, claiming the final wicket to give Upminster a one run win!! Brabin and Matt Mccarthy were in the runs in the next match against Hutton before Oscar Sousanna claimed a brilliant 5-36 to secure an 84 run win. July then ended with a comfortable derby win over AGHAB with Aalok Latey (5-7) and Suneel (46*) leading their side to victory.

August began with a surprise loss to Southend despite 91 from Nathan French, but the side bounced back at Galleywood a week later. Galleywood were restricted to 172-9 and despite some wobbles in reply, an excellent 62 not out from Max Bird saw Upminster to a four wicket win. Upminster then moved to the brink of promotion a week later as they overcame Chelmsford Super Kings at Campion. Woody Treadwell took 4-26 but CSK were still able to post a total of 216. Skipper Craig Grote got the reply off to a fast start before excellent knocks from Billy Sheridan (69*) and Rob Healy (75*) helped Upminster to an eight wicket win. That left just one point needed for promotion, but Grote’s side knew they could seal the title if they beat nearest rivals Hatfield Peverel on the penultimate weekend of the Mid Essex League season. Promotion was secured but the title celebrations had to wait as Upminster were beaten by 61 runs despite 45 not out from Paul Middlemiss. The final weekend of the Mid Essex season was a near complete washout, but the points gained from their rained off game with Basildon & Pitsea meant Upminster were crowned champions by 16 runs.

Suneel topped the batting charts with 359 runs whilst Brabin made 287 and Burch and Taplin also passed the 200 mark. Youngsters Aadit Latey, Dylan Brooks and Billy Sherdian also showed what they were capable of with some excellent innings. Treadwell enjoyed another excellent season, claiming 21 wickets, while the Lateys (Aadit and Aalok) too 13 and 10 respectively. Next season will undoubtedly bring some new challenges, but Grote will be confident his side will be able to compete at the higher level in 2027.

7th XI:
It was a solid season for the 7th XI in Division 10 of the Mid Essex League, with the side eventually finishing in a very respectable sixth place. What was most pleasing is the progress made by a number of the young players who featured in the side during the season.

A first day loss at Rayleigh was disappointing, but it was still a memorable day for Patrick Gulvin who made his first ever senior century (104) which for a while looked like it may take Upminster to victory. There was also an excellent 80 not out for Kayhan Suneel on his competitive senior debut, an innings which set the tone for an excellent season for the young opener. Gulvin clearly enjoyed his first senior century on the opening weekend as he did it again the following Saturday against Southend. He made 124 and with Hortop and Suneel also in the runs Upminster piled up 291-6. That was way too many for Southend as Upminster went on to win by 126 runs. Great Totham proved to strong seven days later, but despite the heavy defeat there were excellent half centuries for the Oscars, Hayes and Sousanna, which were a real highlight regardless of the result. It was a similar situation against a strong Willow Herbs side who went on to record a 104 run win, but there were runs for Mark Hortop (92*) and Dylan Brooks (46*) with the pair putting together an unbroken stand of 103. May then ended with a much needed win against Benfleet thanks to an excellent team performance. Billy Sheridan made exactly 50 at the top of the order and there were then eight other double figure scores in an Upminster total of 217-8. Chris Brabin then led the way with the ball, taking 3-23 as Benfleet were bowled out for 164.

June began with most games across Essex being washed out but the 7th XI encounter against Rayleigh Fairview to begin……….only to be abandoned after just 3.3 overs when conditions became unplayable. The climb up the table did continue the week after that though, as Ilford Catholic were beaten at Barkingside Park. Hayes took 4-17 as Catholic were dismissed for 142. The chase was a nervy one but all of the top seven made double figures as Upminster won by four wickets. Kevin Roome took three wickets and Hortop made 50 against Rankins, but Rankins went on to win by 83 runs, and there was then another defeat against leaders Horndon on the Hill. Ralph Moore made a half century as Upminster battled hard to set a total of 227, and despite putting up a good fight in the field it was the table-toppers who went on to win by six wickets.

The second half of the season began with captain Don Triggs claiming three wickets against Rayleigh who were bowled out for 168 before Upminster fell just short in reply, losing by nine runs. Harrison Simpson made his first senior half century (67) against Southend and with Hayes also in the runs Upminster made 234-8. That proved way too much for Southend who were bowled out for 97, Michael Jones taking 4-8. The progress made during the season was demonstrated against Great Totham, with Upminster pushing their high-flying opponents all the way before narrowly losing out. Totham made 220-5 but 51 from Moore and 40 from Jack Butler looked like it may take Upminster to victory before they were bowled out for 194. Willow Herbs again proved too strong at the end of July, despite runs for Gulvin and Butler before August began with a win against Benfleet. Sheridan (60) and Brabin (78) helped Upminster reach 246-9 and Brabin then showed his all-round skills as he took 5-53 with the ball. Kevin McNeela also grabbed 4-18 as Benfleet were bowled out for 174. Simpson made 60 and Karim Govani took 3-23 against Rayleigh Fairview who went on to win by four wickets before Triggs’ side bounced back against Ilford Catholic. McNeela and Govani took three wickets apiece as Catholic were bowled out for 124 before McNeela and Max Malby took Upminster to a seven wicket win. The final away game of the season at Rankins saw a maiden senior fifty for Henry Madsen as well as runs for the inform Simpson, George Ashlin and Tinus Stander in an Upminster total of 215-7. Rankins though cruised to victory by eight wickets before the final match of the season, at home to Horndon was washed out.

Simpson topped the batting charts with 331 runs, a phenomenal effort for a 13 year old, while Gulvin made 272 from just three innings. Hortop and Sheridan also passed the 200 mark and Hayes and Moore looked assured with the bat as the season went on. Brabin picked up 15 wickets, to go alongside 119 runs, whilst Govani claimed 14, Hayes 11 and Roome 10.

It was great to see so many young players playing prominent roles in the side throughout the season and captain Triggs will be hoping the experience gained across the summer will help the side push for promotion in 2027.