The first full weekend of competitive cricket was an exciting one, with five of Saturday's games being decided by the narrowest of margins.  With a number of players unavailable through injury and exams, many had expected all of the Saturday sides to struggle, but while there were only three wins from seven games the performances and results once again demonstrated the depth of quality within the club.

The 1st XI travelled to face Ilford at Valentines Park with an inexperienced side at first team tevel, but came within a whisker of picking up a famous win.  Having decided to bat first on an interesting looking pitch Upminster were in trouble at 7-2 but an unlikely third wicket combination got them back in the game.  Tom Daniels, back in the first team, and Ian Russell, making his league debut for the club, rebuilt slowly on a tough wicket and began to put their side into a good position.  Daniels was initially the aggressor while Russell dug in, but both men started to look in good form and reached their half centuries.  Daniels looked like he may be on course for three figures before he was dismissed for a brilliant 86, and Jamie Green then joined Russell to keep Upminster moving towards a challenging total.  Green, Russell (59) and Gus Philpot were all dismissed in quick succession as Ilford fought back, but Callum Berry struck two maximums to take Upminster past the 200 mark.  A late clatter of wickets as Upminster chased quick runs meant they closed their innings on 228-9.

Ilford made a good start to their reply before stand-in captain Max Carter-Miller made the breakthrough for Upminster and veteran Shafiq Rahman then struck twice in quick succession to further boost the visitors.  When Philpot ran out Anil for 47 and Rahman dismissed Saad Ali Baryar first ball the home side looked in big trouble at 104-5.  Ilford captain Haaris Ayub (53) and Kanchana Dassanayake (41) led the fightback for their side, putting on 80 and keeping the run rate under control, but when they fell shortly after one another it looked like Upminster were back on top.  Another run out brought the eighth wicket but Kyan Lehal took his side to the verge of victory.  Philpot dismissed Lehal in the last over with the scores level but the experienced Theeban Tavarsa held his nerve as Ilford claimed a one wicket win with two balls to spare.

The all round heroics of John Curtis could not stop the 2nd XI suffering a crushing home defeat to Chelmsford at Upminster Park.  Curtis struck an unbeaten 80 and claimed three wickets, but Chelmsford proved too strong and claimed a seven wicket success.  Upminster's top three all made double figures, but with nobody going on to make a significant contribution they slumped to 70-5.  Curtis and Rob Healy (20) repaired some of the damage with a stand of 40 and then Curtis joined forces with youngster Finley Tolan to put together an eighth wicket stand of 48, Curtis had by now reached his half century and began to cut loose after Tolan's dismissal, but Upminster could not reach the 200 mark, being bowled out for 197 from the last ball of the innings.  Curtis finished on 80 not out while Abubaker Rafiq claimed 4-14 for Chelmsford.  Miles Clark and Angus Turner put on 84 for the first wicket before both were dismissed by Curtis, and when the veteran claimed a third wicket to leave the visitors 106-3 the game looked in the balance.  However, Elliot Wenzel (62*) and captain Harry Green settled any Chelmsford nerves as they took their side to a comfortable win with more than 17 overs to spare.

A brilliant team performance from the 3rd XI saw them pick up an opening day win over a strong Hornchurch side in the derby at Coopers.  Steve Limn, Dan Simpson and Will Frost all made good contributions for Upminster, but the star of the show with the bat was Michael Pedrick, who made an excellent 53 in the middle order.  Pedrick combined with 14 year old Alfie Taplin (33) in an excellent stand of 77 for the fifth wicket, and although Hornchurch fought back with a cluster of quick wickets, some late runs from Jordan Tolan took Upminster to 225-8 from their 45 overs, Michael Church claiming 3-39 for the visitors.  Church also made 43 with the bat during the Hornchurch reply, but Tom Young produced an excellent spell with the ball to Upminster in control.  The dangerous Myles Wells looked to be putting Hornchurch in a good position before also falling to Young, and with Young returning brilliant figures of 5-57 it looked like Upmister were set for victory.  Naveen Kamboj and Joe DeFreitas countered for Hornchurch with an eighth wicket stand of 42, and although Ryan Oakes dismissed Kamboj for 27 it looked like DeFreitas would get his side over the line.  However, Pedrick ran out Connor Hartwell in the penultimate over before Jordan Tolan held his nerve to claim the final wicket in the final over as Upminster squeezed home by three runs.

There was also a thrilling game for the 4th XI against Buckhurst Hill 3s, but unfortunately the result went the other way in this one.  HIll opener Omar Ahmad made 51 before falling to Kevin Roome and although a number of Hill batters got starts Upminster kept on picking up wickets at important times to stay in the game.  There were two wickets each for Roome, Shrey Shah, Ewan Lowrie and Yasir Ali Bhatti, but Hill ensured they used all their overs as they closed on 213-9, 61 extras helping to boost the score. Captain Matt Ingleson led the Upminster reply but the rest of the top order were blown away as Upminster slid to 23-3.  Ingleson then found a willing partner in Matt Burch and they began to get their side back in the game.  The pair put on 115 for the fourth wicket, before Burch fell for 49, but despite the extras once again piling up (there were 52 in the innings for a match total of 113) the run rate began to increase and wickets once again began to tumble.  Ingleson remained to keep Upminster in the game, and Lowrie added some late runs to keep things in the balance, but despite the captain ending 63 not out Hill squeezed home by 5 runs as Upminster closed on 208-9.  Alex Allsop finished with 4-42 for the visitors.

The 5th XI slumped to a heavy loss at Westcliff 4s.  Stewart Hammond, George Sheridan and Rob Bannister made the only meaningful contributions in an Upminster total of 125-9 before the home side cruised to a nine wicket win with plenty of time to spare.  

The 6th XI kept up their winning start to the season with a narrow win over Ilford Catholics at Campion in Mid Essex Division 8.  Aedan Daly enjoyed his break from revision as he picked up two early wickets, and with the Brabins, Thomas and Chris, claiming a wicket each, Catholics were in trouble at 47-4.  Darpad Kotakonda (43*) and Imran Khan (67) countered for the visitors with a stand of 90,before Harry Bradford struck twice late on as Catholics closed on 162-6.  Captain Ray Calder (28) and Ed Knight (38) started well for Upminster, and Daly added 25 as the home side moved into a good position.  Ralph Moore also made a quickfire 22, but Ishaan Surapaneni ran through the middle and lower order with 4-16 and Upminster still needed 24 for victory when the ninth wicket fell.  Enter Tinus Stander, who in partnership with Bradford squeezed Upminster to a brilliant one wicket win, their second single wicket success in two weeks.   

There was also a thrilling win for the 7th XI in their Mid Essex Division 9 game at picturesque Rankins.  Paul Middlemiss and Paul Burley put on 80 for the second wicket before Burley fell for 41 but Middlemiss went on to pass 50 before having to retire hurt on 61.  Oliver White and Max Malby then took charge for Upminster, and with White striking the ball well Upminster moved into a good position.  Malby's dismissal brought a middle order collapse, but White reached his half century with a boundary straight down the ground.  Middlemiss returned to the wicket before White fell for 63, and Upminster closed on 217-9, Middlemiss ending unbeaten on 72 and Adam Huggins and David Jones claiming three wickets each for Rankins.  Karim Govani and youngster Oscar Hayes bowled tight opening spells for Upminster, and U13 Woody Treadwell claimed his first senior wicket, before Sartaj Nanda and Sandeep Gangireddy put Rankins on top.  John Morley dismissed Gangireddy for 31 but Sahas Gangireddy joined Nanda and they looked to be taking their side to victory.  Oscar Sousanna, another U13, had other ideas though, dismissing both batters as Upminster fought back, and against all odds it was the home side up against it when they needed 20 from the final two overs.  A boundary from the final ball of the penultimate over left 11 needed from the last, but Treadwell held his nerve to close things out as Upminster won by 5 runs.   

There are three senior games today (Sunday).  The Women's 1st XI travel to Wanstead and Snaresbrook while the Women's 2nd XI take on Orsett and Thurrock at Coopers.  Meanwhile the Sunday League XI take on Neo Club at Upminster Park (all three games begin at 1.00pm).  There are also a number of junior games taking place throughout the day (please check PlayCricket for full details).