In our fourth article on great UCC games of the past 25 years we go back to a cup contest from the 2004 season, when Upminster made the long journey to Wokingham of the Home Counties Premier League.

With a busy April and May schedule in both league and cup competitions, a number of 1st XI players weren't available for the Evening Standard Trophy first round contest, and Ollie Peck's side travelled with five players who would not normally be in the 1st XI, including a late call up for Club Chairman of the time, Dave Allen.

Wokingham were somewhat of an unknown quantity for the Upminster players but their league standing showed they would be a good side, and Upminster opening bowler John Curtis remembers being impressed on arrival. "It was a nice ground when we arrived, and they had 100s of kids playing on the outfield for Sunday morning training, so they were clearly a well organised club." Upminster skipper Peck won the toss and decided to field first, but he may have been regretting that decision as home openers Ruki Soza and captain Dan Reddyhough got off to a fine start, putting on 104 for the first wicket before both fell to Nick O'Dell. O'Dell went on to finish with 3-33 as he and Terry Wyatt reduced the home side to 161-5, but Jonathan Gilbey and Paul Johnson produced a late flourish to see Wokingham to 243-7 from their 50 overs. Not an impossible target for the Upminster batsmen, but a tough one considering their line up.

The make up of the Upminster line up meant that regular 2nd XI opening bowler Jeff Mack, sporting a bandana in the style of Ramnaresh Sarwan, was promoted up the order to open the innings. It seemed for a while that the move may pay off as the Upminster opening pair put on 45 for the first wicket, but they soon fell to 61-3 and looked in trouble. Terry Wyatt and Mike Rath, two of Upminster's most consistent performers with the bat at that time, then combined to get Upminster back into the contest. With energetic running between the wickets and some powerful shots down the slope to the bank where the Upminster team were situated, they put the pressure back on to the home side. However, just as his side looked to be taking control Rath fell for 50, and a collapse followed, including the fall of Wyatt for 67, meaning Upminster slumped to 200-7. With the run rate climbing as wickets fell, captain Peck joined John Curtis and they took the fight back to the Berkshire based club. The home side gave away a number of extras and the Upminster pair were able to find the boundary at crucial times "I even played a lovely late cut down to the third man boundary for four" remarked Curtis "which I don't think I have played again since!"

With just nine runs now needed Reddyhough bowled opposite number Peck, and the Upminster Chairman Dave Allen strode to the crease to join Curtis. Allen was more renowned for his nurdles into the leg side by this stage of his career but that was not the case on this occasion as Curtis remembers. "We needed 9 from two overs and Ducks (Allen) plays a beautiful lofted drive over extra cover for four." That shot from the then Chairman has gone down in UCC folklore, but it wasn't actually the winning stroke, as some often believe. Allen took a single to get Curtis back on strike and the inside edge of his bat sent the ball racing to the fine leg boundary to give Upminster a two wicket win, with seven balls to spare. The winning runs were met with jubilant scenes by the Upminster side, and by Life Vice-Presidents Roger Cobbill and Keith Martin who were watching in front of the pavilion. Upminster fell to defeat against a powerful Bexley side in the next round, but Allen's extra cover drive will be remembered for many years to come.

(Scorecard)

DAVE ALLEN IS PICTURED ABOVE WITH ESSEX LEGEND JAMES FOSTER AT ONE OF THE MANY BENEFIT MATCHES ALLEN ORGANISED AT UCC