While it was a mixed Saturday afternoon overall there were two brilliant wins for the 1st and 2nd XIs, achieved in very different circumstances, and a maiden senior century for one of our young players.

The 1st XI began the day just behind their hosts Billericay but they ended it on top of the Division One table after a ruthless and dominant win at Blunts Wall Road. The home side chose to bat upon winning the toss but they were probably regretting that decision less than an hour later as Upminster skipper Aaron Beard ripped through the top order with a fine new ball burst. Beard took four early wickets, including that of dangerman Grant Roelofsen, and with Nehal Butt and then JJ Smuts also picking up victims the home side were in big trouble at 71-6. The Ricay' lower order showed some brief resistance but Beard was soon completing his five wicket haul (5-57) while Smuts continued his fine recent form with 3-15 as the morning leaders were bundled out for just 110. Ian Russell was caught behind early in the Upminster reply but Smuts joined Kiran Kullar and they began to put their side in charge. Both players had to work hard early in their innings but they were then able to put their foot down as the target came into sight. Kullar brought up his half century just before the end, and finished 56 not out, while Smuts ended unbeaten on 43 as Upminster cruised to a nine wicket success to take over at the top of the table. 

The route to victory was very different at Upminster Park, but the 2nd XI eventually picked up the 25 points after a thrilling comeback against Brentwood. Upminster were on the backfoot on several occasions during the afternoon, not least when they fell to 11-3 early on with Vikhyat Raina doing much of the damage for Brentwood. Gus Siggins and Vansh Mehra began the first fightback of the afternoon as they put together an excellent fourth wicket partnership to get their side back in the game, with both players bringing up half centuries at just under a run a ball. It looked as though the two players were starting to take the game away from Brentwood when the partnership ended at 152 with Mehra falling for 71 and Siggins followied him a few balls later for an excellent 74. Upminster's middle order has been vulnerable at times this season but that wasn't the case here as Terry Wyatt (36) and Zoran Suneel (32) took the score beyond 200 with a partnership of 70 and when they had fallen there was some late runs from John Curtis and Jamie Green as Upminster were bowled out for 282 from the last ball of the innings. Green continued his positive afternoon with two early wickets as the Brentwood reply stumbled before Josh Knightsbridge and Richard Horswill compiled an excellent partnership for the third wicket. Knightsbridge was the more aggressive of the pair but the Upminster bowlers just about kept a lid on the run rate and made things difficult for the visitors, although as the last hour began it looked like only one team would be able to force a result. Curtis returned to the attack to bowl Knightsbridge for an excellent 91 before a quickfire two wicket burst from Green began to give the scorecard a different look. Mohsin Rehman joined Horswill and they took the score beyond 200 and with the run rate required at around 11.5 for the final five overs the visitors will still have felt like they could gain a win, but Green bowled Horswill for 56 and when Brentwood lost two further wickets in two balls, at the end of the 43rd and start of the 44th overs it was Upminster who suddenly scented an unlikely victory. The last over began with Green already showing six wickets to his name and he grabbed another when Bobby Harris was caught at gully with three balls remaining to leave Brentwood nine down. Green then produced a low full toss from his next ball to trap Rhys Chapman plumb in front and Upminster had somehow claimed a 24 run win with Green finishing with remarkable figures of 8-74.

It was a bad day at the office for the 3rd XI who were knocked off top spot after a poor performance and subsequent loss to Shenfield at Coopers. Shenfield won the toss and the Upminster batting had no answer against Will Dunleavy (5-49) and Frankie Newbould (4-22) who reduced the home side to 24-5. Michael Pedrick and Fin Tolan put on 58 for the sixth wicket to stop the rot, and Tolan went on to record an excellent half century (51) to give his side hope, but despite some late hitting from Ryan Oakes and Andrew Berry the morning leaders were bowled out for 137. Tom Young picked up two wickets in the Shenfield reply but in truth Upminster never looked like getting back in the game and 58 not out from William Ovenden saw Shenfield to a comfortable seven wicket win.

The 4th XI extended their lead at the top of the table despite being held to a draw at Fives and Heronians. WIth Old Southendians losing heavily to Hutton, the 11 points picked up by Matt Ingleson's side saw them go eight points clear at the top. Ingleson (22) and Ethan Berry (31) got Upminster off to a good start with a half century stand for the first wicket before they slipped to 66-3 as Fives fought back. Rob Mack and Joshan Narbheram then began to put Upminster in charge as they took the game to the opposition with an excellent partnership. Mack made 75 and Narbheram 62 and their stand of 129 was then followed by some late hitting from Ollie Clarke, Ollie Hinton and Lewis Munn which enabled Upminster to declare six overs early at 280-8. Upminster knew they were in for a long stint in the field but they bowled with great discipline and kept taking wickets during the Fives reply. Aamir Ali top scored with 69 for the home side as Ingleson rotated his bowlers regularly to try and push for victory. Eight bowlers were used, with seven of them picking up wickets as Fives tried to hold out for the draw. Berry picked up 2-27 to give his side hope of victory but the home side held on at 205-8.

There was a superb first senior century for 13 year old William Peck but the 5th XI fell to defeat at Shenfield. Peck smashed 104 from just 86 balls to reach three figures for the first time this season and the first time in adult cricket as his side piled up a big score at Chelmsford Road. The young batter received good support from Ian Munn (26) and Stew Hammond (40) and after they had fallen another youngster, Dylan Brooks, crashed 58 not out from 39 balls as Upminster went past the 250 mark. Matt Mccarhy also contributed 28 in a total of 279-4 before Ciaran Dunleavy and Dhoni Maitala opened the Shenfield innings with a century stand at more than a run a ball. Ryan Brown and Anay Narbheram (2-37) got Upminster back in the game before Declan Robinson and Zak Patel countered once more for Shenfield, but the required run rate kept climbing and as the game entered the last few overs it was Upminster who looked on course for victory. Shenfield needed 68 to win from the final five overs but Patel didn't give up the chase and kept finding the boundary eventually winning the game with a maximum from the penultimate ball of the game as Shenfield won by three wickets and Patel ending 85 not out.

The 6th XI returned to the top of Mid Essex League Division Nine with a good all round performance against Navestock, Upminster had been in early trouble when they slipped to 3-3 at Campion before skipper Matt Burch combined with Alife Taplin to lead the recovery. Burch made 48 and Taplin 56, and the comeback continued with Aadit Latey making an excellent 51 and Ralph Burchell contributing 36 as Upminster closed on 227-9. Aalok Latey (3-25) and Woody Treadwell (2-51) were in excellent form with the ball for Upminster to keep their side on top, but Ross Glumart kept Navestock in the game with a fine innings. He made 94 not out but with little support from elsewhere Navestock ended on 190-8 as Upminster won by 37 runs.

There was an agonising finish for the 7th XI who lost out to Rayleigh by just nine runs. Rayleigh decided to bat first at Broxhill Road and all of their top order made double figures to build a solid platform before Upminster came back well. All six of the Upminster bowlers used picked up a wicket with Don Triggs (3-36) and Jack Butler (2-32) the pick of the attack. Rayleigh number nine Marc Smith made what turned out to be a crucial 36 as the visitors were bowled out for 168. Mark Hortop (25) and Harrison Simpson (24) put Upminster into a good position before a middle order collapse saw them stumble to 67-6. Butler and Henry Madsen, on his senior league debut, got Upminster back in the game with a stand of exactly 50 and when Butler fell Madsen and Michael Jones combined and looked to be taking Upminster to victory. However, Chloe Martin was the hero for Rayleigh, taking the last three Upminster wickets in quick succession as Upminster were bowled out for 159. 

A first senior fifty from Max Malby helped the Friendly XI to a six wicket win over Belhus at Coopers. Upminster had earlier asked Belhus to bat first and the visitors batted consistently throughout their 40 overs with Aftab Ahmad making 52 not out. Alex Curley and Kevin McNeela were the pick of the Upminster bowling attack as Belhus totalled 225-7. Malby and Joshua O'Sullivan made a fast start to the Upminster reply with a 50 stand inside seven overs before O'Sullivan fell for 22, and Malby and Henry McDonough then continued to move the score forward. A first senior half century was soon brought up by Malby and he eventually went on to make 70. before captain Henry Hanlon (40*) and Kevin McNeela (51 ret) helped to see their side to victory.