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SATURDAY REVIEW

SATURDAY REVIEW

Paul Middlemiss

1st XI win again and 3s stay top with important win

It was an up and down afternoon for the club's senior sides with four wins, three losses and a draw from eight games played.

At Upminster Park the 1st XI cruised to a seven wicket win over Chingford as they extended their lead at the top of the Division One table. Chingford decided to bat first upon winning the toss but the visitors were soon in trouble at 5-2, a run out not helping their cause as they looked to build a big total. Yuvraj Rao and Aayush Baluja compiled a half century stand to help Chingford get back in the game before two wickets in two overs from JJ Smuts and Nehal Butt put Upminster firmly back on top. Baluja continued to take the fight to Upminster and soon reached his half century, and with Harry Houldsworth also looking in good form Chingford started to move towards a challenging total. Jamie Green removed Houldsworth for 38 and after Smuts claimed his second wicket it was over to Shafiq Rahman to bring things to a quick conclusion. Rahman removed Baluja for 72 before running through the lower order, claiming 4-52 as Chingford collapsed from 187-6 to 201 all out, Green and Smuts claiming 2-43 and 2-45 respectively.

Pulkit Gupta and Kiran Kullar made an excellent start to the Upminster reply as they put on 74 for the first wicket inside 13 overs, and after Kullar fell for 32 Smuts and Gupta continued to take the game away from their opponents. Gupta brought up his half century before falling for 56 shortly after and when Gus Philpot went for four Upminster had their first nervous moments of the afternoon at 116-3. However, Smuts and Adam Wheater soon calmed any nerves with a commanding partnership to move their side towards victory. Chingford used six bowlers as they tried to make a breakthrough but it was all to no avail as Smuts ended 62 not out and Wheater finished unbeaten on 43 as Upminster won by seven wickets with nearly 20 overs to spare.

The 2nd XI's recent run of good results came to an end with a loss at Hutton. Upminster were asked to bat first and all of their top four got starts but couldn't go on to register a big score as Hutton took wickets regularly. Freddie Abbott (3-45) did most of the damage for Hutton and when Upminster fell to 123-6 they looked in a spot of bother but Zoran Suneel (40) and Terry Wyatt began the fightback with a stand of 41, and after Wyatt fell John Curtis and Suneel put on 62 as the visitors ensured they would take maximum batting points as they passed the 200 mark. Curtis, the 2024 batter of the year, looked in fine form and played his best knock of the season, making 72 not out from 67 balls, and with Ollie Burley and Ollie Peck also adding some late runs Upminster ended on 286-9. Curtis then had Joel Hussain caught behind for 16 early in the Hutton reply, but that was the high point of the second innings for Upminster as Adam Spooner and Ben Parry took the game away from Peck's side. Their partnership of 206 in 27 overs was ended when Peck bowled Spooner for 91 but Parry was soon bringing up three figures as Hutton closed in on victory. Vansh Mehra finally dismissed Parry for 139 but it was only delaying the inevitable as Hutton won by seven wickets with plenty of time to spare.

A youthful 3rd XI extended their lead at the top of the table with a 25 point win at West Essex. Upminster were asked to bat first in what are always challenging conditions, but captain Dan Simpson looked in fine form with the bat as he anchored the leaders' innings. Simpson batted the entire innings to finish unbeaten on 80 and he received good support from Arun Kullar (24) and Ross Taylor (35) as Upminster moved towards the 200 mark. Lewis Munn then added a crucial 33 in an excellent eighth wicket partnership which helped the visitors post a competitive 244. Riz Akbar claimed 5-39 for the home side. Finley Tolan and Mark D'Cruz then put Upminster on top with early wickets, and West were never able to recover as Upminster stayed on top. West captain Azhar Ali top scored with 24 before he became one of five victims of Ryan Oakes. Oakes produced a stunning spell of 5-13 to take his side to a comfortable win as the home side were bowled out for just 95.

The 4th XI were held to a draw by Brentwood but maintained their lead at the top of the table. Brentwood chose to bat first on an excellent looking pitch at Coopers, and they went on to make full use of the conditions as they amassed a big total. Andrew Berry picked up an early wicket before Ishan Bhake and Ram Prasana put together a century stand to put Brentwood on top. Ollie Clarke (3-28) produced an excellent spell to help get Upminster back in the game, and there were also two wickets each for Fenton Everingham and Nathan Brown, but 49 from Nick Harvey helped take Brentwood to a total of 256-9. Steve Limn, WIlliam Peck and Matt Ingleson helped take Upminster to 99-1 in reply with Limn going on to make an excellent 59 before being run out. Rob Mack looked in good touch in the middle order as he made 48 and Harry Lawes (28) also chipped in as Upminster stayed in the chase. With the required run rate climbing Upminster began to lose wickets, falling from 188-3 to 197-7, and although Fenton Everingham made a late 29 not out from 16 balls the home side ended on 232-7.

A derby win over Hornchurch 4s kept the 5th XI in the promotion hunt at Campion. Hornchurch chose to bat first but they lost wickets regularly as Upminster took control. Rob Evans was the pick of the Upminster attack with 3-23 while there were also two wickets each for Harry Bradford, Stan Moore and Thomas Cargill. Rikhil Patel (34) and captain Tom Fletcher (40) rallied for Hornchurch with late runs before the visitors were eventually all out for 152. Ayaan Junaid picked up two wickets early in the Upminster reply as the home side fell to 61-3 before Rob Healy and Cargill settled any nerves with an excellent fourth wicket partnership. After a watchful start the pair moved through the gears to take their side towards victory, Healy eventually finishing 51 not out while Cargill ended unbeaten on 52 as Upminster won by seven wickets.

The 6th XI also picked up a derby win as they overcame AGHAB 3rd XI. AGHAB were bowled out for just 88 before Upminster raced to an eight wicket win.

The 7th XI lost out at Willow Herbs 2nd XI in Mid Essex Division Ten. Batting first Upminster fell to 23-4 before Oscar Hayes and Patrick Gulvin led a recovery. Gulvin made an excellent 44 but his departure triggered another collapse before Jack Butler smashed 39 not out at the end of the innings to hoist the total to 139. Butler then picked up a wicket in the second over of the Herbs reply, but the home side then put together several partnerships to move towards victory. Kevin Roome picked up two wickets to briefly give Upminster hope, but they eventually lost out by five wickets.

The Friendly XI lost out to Herongate & Ingrave in their latest friendly encounter.

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