Andrew Berry has been named the tenth Life Vice President of Upminster Cricket Club. The prestigious honour, the highest accolade the club can award an individual, was announced during Saturday night's Annual Dinner and Dance.

Life Vice Presidency is given to individuals who have made an outstanding, long-term contribution to the club. Known to everyone as "Bezza," Andrew has played a monumental role in the club's progress over the last 25 years.

Andrew has served two stints as Club Treasurer, with his current tenure lasting 17 years. He successfully navigated the club's finances through challenges like the Covid pandemic while ensuring funding was available for major capital projects. His work effectively manages finances comparable to a medium-sized business, and the time and effort therefore required to fulfil this role is immense. He played a pivotal role in the Pavilion Redevelopment project, representing both the cricket club and the hockey club of which he was Chair at the time. Over the past 12 months, he has been a constant presence at the pavilion, ensuring the new facility runs smoothly.

Beyond his formal roles, “Bezza” is always available for any task, including seasonal grounds work, assisting at the Benefit Match, and managing stocks of balls, stumps and bails. He is involved in every facet of the club, and this has been the case for number of years.

Of course, as well as all of this off-field work, it should also be remembered that Andrew has been a formidable presence on the pitch for Upminster for over 35 years. Having bowled 1,000s of overs for the 1st XI during a career at that level which spanned 25 seasons, it is no surprise that his transition into some of our lower elevens has seen those sides enjoy huge success in recent times, with “Bezza” playing a lead role in the 3rd XI winning three Premier Division titles since 2018.

Andrew has always been one to lead by example, on and off the pitch, and it is no surprise that many younger members who have played alongside him over the years have gone on to fulfil prominent roles within the club, on and off the field of play. This includes his two sons Callum and Ethan who are both fine players themselves and great ambassadors for the club as well as daughter Izzy who works tirelessly behind the bar throughout the year. Andrew’s wife Karen is also a huge supporter of the club and a constant presence around the Pavilion throughout the summer (on the other side of the bar to Izzy!!). We hope that all of the Berry family continue to make such a significant contribution to the club for many years to come.

Everyone at Upminster Cricket Club would like to congratulate “Bezza” on receiving this hugely deserved accolade and thank him for the time, effort and energy he has given to the club for more than 35 years.

** David Brown and Graeme Lawes were both announced as new Vice Presidents of the club at the Dinner and Dance, to recognise their contributions to the club.