It may not have been the biggest competition of the season, but with the senior honours section of the website looking like it was going to remain blank for 2025, the Sunday League XI produced a stunning fightback to claim the Essex Sunday League T20 in the gloom on Tuesday night.

Nearly five months to the day since a long season started, Upminster overcame Scintilla, and guests, in a brilliant game of cricket at Gallows Corner.  The result capped an excellent season for the Sunday League side who returned to action after a four year absence and finished the season in fourth place in the league before claiming this T20 success.  The side was excellently led by Nehal Butt and Callum Berry during the campaign, and most importantly gave a number of younger players the opportunity to play good level competitive cricket on a Sunday.  A number of those young players showed what they had learned during the season by putting in excellent performances as the competitive season ended with a trophy lift in the dark.

Scintilla won the toss and asked Upminster to bat first on a green looking track, and Noman Javed had Upminster in early trouble as his two wickets helped to reduce Upminster to 30-3.  Skipper Nehal Butt helped Zoran Suneel rebuild before Suneel fell for 19 and Butt and Aki Rahman then looked to get Upminster on top.  They had put on 25 for the fifth wicket before Butt fell, and when Mehrab Sifat (3-16) struck again two balls later Upminster found themselves 87-6.  Rahman remained though, and after a slow start began to find his fluency to help his side rebuild again.  Rahman was well supported by George Sheridan who once again showed maturity beyond his years with an excellent innings in tough conditions.  The seventh wicket pair added 37 to give their side hope and although Rahman (36) and Sheridan (16) fell before the end, Upminster will have been pleased to have reached 134-8 from the position they had been in.

If the momentum at halfway had seemingly been with Butt's side then that quickly swung the other way as the Scintilla chase began.  Javed and Haroon Hafiz got their side off to a lightning start, with Javed bringing up his half century from just 31 balls as the opening pair put on 82 in less than ten overs to seemingly put the result beyond doubt.  Upminster's young side didn't give up though, and the introduction into the attack of Gus Philpot and Michael Pedrick started to bring their side back into the game.  Javed fell for 58, and Hafiz for 22, before Philpot had Sajal Rahman caught at the wicket and Pedrick trapped Ali Zaib in front without scoring as Upminster stormed back into the game.  Philpot had debutant Zain Akhtar caught by Ollie Burley as the wickets continued to fall, and youngster Finley Tolan then produced a brilliant two wicket burst to leave Scintilla 111-7 and Upminster looking like favourites.  Morshadur Rahman remained for Scintilla and looked to be keeping his nerve as he tried to steer his side to victory, and with Moazzam Sultan providing good support the last over arrived with 11 needed for victory.  That equation was reduced to four from two deliveries before Sultan was run out to leave Upminster on the brink. Burley held his nerve to produce a dot ball to finish as Upminster won a thrilling contest by three runs.  Congratulations to Scintilla on playing their part in an excellent game of cricket which was a great advert for the league.  All that remained was for Upminster skipper Butt to lift the trophy as his side matched the 2021 side who also lifted the same cup (the last time the club played in this competition).